To the Lonely Skylark
by Chirinah
Summary: Slight AU. He's like a cloud. Sometimes calm and peaceful, floating across the blue sky in wisps of white. Sometimes he's dark and heavy, filled with anger about to lash out on anyone in sight. Often, he's waiting in anticipation, ready to switch between the two at the slightest provocation. Always, he's far away. Hibari x OC.
1. Prologue

**This is a rewritten version of To the Lonely Skylark, focusing on an OC called Maya and her quest to open up one monster's heart. No yaoi. Okay? I have nothing against boys love personally, in fact I love it, but I just can't incorporate it here.**

 **If you have questions, feel free to send me a PM. I read reviews, but I mostly ignore them. I do respond when I feel like it, but that's not often.**

 **Hibari X OC**

 **Slight AU**

 **Disclaimer: KHR is by no means mine.**

* * *

Hey, did you know? I kinda, sorta, you know… _love you?_

* * *

Kyoya Hibari.

He's like a cloud. Sometimes calm and peaceful, floating across the blue sky in wisps of white. Sometimes he's dark and heavy, filled with anger about to lash out on anyone in sight. Often, he's waiting in anticipation, ready to switch between the two at the slightest provocation. Always, he's far away.

 _Too far away._

* * *

 **Prologue**

 **"Little Girl"**

Maya Hibari was a strange kid. That was nothing special. Every single one of the Hibari children was strange in one way or another. But Maya was strange in that her _strangeness_ stemmed from the fact that she was, by normal society's standards, _not_ strange at all.

"She's so…average," her mother often commented in varying degrees of surprise and disgust. Her father, a quiet, unassuming man whom one wouldn't ever suspect of being a poison master—but that was exactly what he was—would simply shrug and smile. He was fond of his only daughter even when she showed no inclination to learning assassination at age three. She toddled and spoke fluently and even sang sweetly, but she was scared of knives and had no interest in herbal chemistry. He believed she was a late bloomer.

"She will grow. One day, she will be at the top of the world."

.

At age five, her mother sent Maya to study in the Main House. The Hibari's did not believe in the public education system—too herbivorous, they would say, children flocking like sheep for the slaughter—so they developed and maintained their own method of raising their young. They come in at age five and come out—if they survive—at age twelve, from which point they were sent out to face the world on their own.

It was a cruel, harsh curriculum where kids were encouraged to fight against one another in any way they could: physically, mentally and emotionally. It worked for centuries with the sole purpose of weeding out the 'inferior' from their ranks. The Hibari's are exceptionally gifted. Competition makes their talents bloom.

But Maya, poor Maya, wasn't like the rest of the Hibari's. She was beautiful, but weak of limb and painfully naïve. Average or not, her parents doted on her and she had never truly experienced hardship until she was sent to live amongst the wolves.

She had no hope of survival.

She was the laughingstock of her distant cousins. The girl who was not exceptional in any way. The girl who couldn't fight to save her life. The girl who had the brains of a mouse. The girl who was nice to look at but was good for nothing more.

She was a 'sheep'.

And she knew it, oh, how she knew it. She didn't belong. She was a Hibari, but she was also something else.

Something _less._

.

She was six when she made contact with Kyoya Hibari.

She was aware of him, no one in their right mind wouldn't be. He was the Little Prince, the adults called him, son of the Hibari Patriarch. The children called him 'Akuma'. Demon. He was the strongest in their generation, even stronger than many of the adults. He was ruthless, they said, and fought to kill. Exactly the kind of person they sought to be. Kyoya Hibari was already that even at age eight.

Maya was scared of him. She was scared of everyone. But she was hopeful, too. She had seen him helping out a bullied kid once or twice, and she felt she had found the one person who could save her from her hell.

"Will you help me?"

"I'm not a hero, Little Girl," he had said. And she was so, _so,_ disappointed, until he added, "But maybe I can help you help yourself."

.

"Everyone has something they're good at," her mother used to tell her. The instructors in the Main House said the same thing. And Maya believed them.

The children in the Main House were prime example. Shouyo was good at Kendo. Daiki was good at archery. Chouko was good at tracking. Arata was a genius in computers. He often said things that hurt Maya's head. Hibiki was good at discerning patterns and figuring out puzzles. Hiroshi was one of the best at hand to hand combat. Katsuo could lift boulders ten times his weight.

Every one of her cousins was good at one thing or another. Some were good at multiple things, like Kyoya and his brothers. But Maya didn't know what she was good at.

She was good at being quiet, which Kyoya seemed to appreciate, but her hand to feet coordination was 'horrendous'. Often, Kyoya would be irritated at how clumsy she was. She wasn't remotely suited for close range combat, Kyoya had sniped. She was more likely to hurt herself than her opponent as evidenced in their recent spar where she tripped on a small rock and managed to punch herself in the face before falling over the fall in a tangle of limbs.

Archery and guns were out of the question. Her nearsightedness made it impossible to hit targets that weren't immediately in her face.

"Maybe you're more suited for espionage," mused Kyoya. He looked over at the little girl who was trying hard to be a part of the wall. _She tries so hard not to be noticed that she's so noticeable._ Sighing, he wondered out loud, "What shall I do with you?"

.

Kyoya wasn't sure what it was about Maya that aroused his interest. As creatures went, she was on the absolute lower end of the food chain. She wasn't strong. It didn't matter that she was a girl and they were biologically softer than males. Hibari females had other ways to compensate for biology. He knew for a fact that his mother could go toe-to-toe with his father if it came down to it. And Maya's own mother was one of the Hibari's best soldiers.

He had a healthy respect for both women, and he thought at first that Maya would take after her mother especially when she so fearlessly approached him that day. As a consequence of his strength, the other children and even the adults were always hesitant to speak with him. And when they were face to face with him, none were capable of withstanding eye-to-eye contact for as long as Maya did.

But while he was aware that Maya had a strong will, he wasn't sure how to make it come out. So he did the one thing left to do.

He called his mother.

.

When Kushima Hibari first saw seven year old Maya, she was amused. Though it wasn't Maya she found entertaining. It was her son.

Kyoya was the youngest of three brothers and son to the 'head of the pack'. He had a lot to live up to, so very early on he persevered to be just as strong, and ultimately stronger than his father and brothers. The Hibari's valued strength above all else so, of course, her husband encouraged this. Kushima, for her part, was proud of her spawns, although she did wish she could have had at least one daughter whom she could mold into something aside from the un-cute strength hoarders her husband and sons were.

Strictly speaking, she only wanted a living doll.

And here was her favorite child, bringing her just what she so wanted.

"You're such a good boy, Kyoya," she said, ruffling the little raven's head, who glared at her in a way that's reminiscent of her husband.

She smiled. Such a good, good, boy.

.

"What do you think of my little project?" Kushima asked her husband that night.

He replied with grunt. "Hn. Do whatever you want."

Kushima's smile was as sweet as a blooming flower. "Don't you think she'll make a great wife for Kyoya?"

At this, her husband turned to look at her. What he saw in her face made him pause for a second and then sigh. "Do whatever you want."

.

"One day, you are going to be Kyoya's wife," the pretty woman told her.

Maya nodded because she felt it unwise to challenge this person, but she did wonder what she was talking about.

 _Wife, huh?_

.

Maya thought being average was a curse. She so fervently wished to be special like the other Hibari. Like Kyoya.

.

She got her wish.

.

And she realized that being 'special' is just another curse disguised as a gift.

.

Oh, how naive she was.

* * *

 **Okay, so what do you guys think?**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: Pretty Girl**

Sawada Tsunayoshi couldn't decide whether to laugh, cry or faint of the spot when he opened the door and saw the girl. She wasn't ugly or anything, in fact, she was quite probably the prettiest girl he's ever seen—aside from Kyoko-chan, of course. She had midnight black hair that fell down, _down_ , down to her back, straight and sleek and perfect, with bangs in the front clipped with a pair of flower pins on either side of her face. Her skin looked absolutely smooth in its whiteness, creamy and pale as snow without a hint of imperfection. Her eyes were big and wide and so, so black for a moment he thought he was looking at Reborn, but shook it off when he saw the clear touch of softness in them.

Reborn was never soft. Enough said.

But that's not the point—and neither was the fact that he was blushing—it was a fact that there was a girl, gorgeous and unknown, holding a box wrapped in snow designed paper with a ribbon, _in front of Kyoya Hibari's door._ Kyoya Hibari. Hibari Kyoya. Demon of Namimori, yes, that one.

So…

"Who are you?" The pretty girl and the (still dubious) mafia boss said at the same time.

Tsuna gasped. The girl frowned _prettily._

And then she dropped the bomb (which made him want to laugh, cry and faint at the same time). "What are you doing in my fiancée's house?"

Tsuna, for the nth time in his slowly shortening life, found himself face to face with a gun—this time a normal one that would kill him and _not_ trigger his dying will. He screamed and clumsily stepped back, tripping and falling on his own feet. The gun followed his head and the mafia boss could only wonder ' _Why me?'_ once before hell broke loose in the form of hungry and psychopathic guardians.

Kyoya sipped his tea. The herbivore was being loud.

 **.**

The girl didn't know what she expected when she first trudged the way to a certain Hibari's residence in a town called Namimori, more than thirty kilometres from her own home. She was scared, nervous and excited; she nearly bit her own mouth off in anticipation.

When the silver car stopped in front of the traditional house's gates, her heart nearly jumped out of her chest. Her face remained calm and stoic, but her insides were dancing.

 _Kyoya…_ At the thought of the young man, a rare smile graced her beautiful face.

She waited for the car to be opened for her before stepping out into the open night air which smelled faintly of pine and mint and fire—a strange combination, but one that fit perfectly with Kyoya Hibari. It was quiet, just the way he liked it, and dark, with only the flickering light from the porch to guide her along the footpath. The house was situated in the far side of Namimori, where there are little to no residents around. She'd been there quite a few times, and liked it much better than the cold and large corridors of her own home. If she could, she'd have lived here throughout the year, but she didn't think Kyoya would take kindly to his privacy being invaded—even by his fiancée.

The raven-haired prefect liked his solitude. He didn't even have maids, and only hired cleaners to clean when he wasn't around. The only other person he could tolerate in his sanctuary was Kusakabe, his personal servant, which was understandable considering they grew up together. Every time she came here, it was always Kusakabe who opened the door for her, offered her tea, and talked casually while the master of the house either listened or slept. And then, when it was time to leave, it was also Kusakabe who sent her out with well-wishes.

She had never come at night before. She didn't know whether Kusakabe was still awake, or whether he was still here in the first place. She didn't know if they lived together. She wondered if Kyoya would be mad.

It was nearly midnight, after all.

Would he be asleep?

 **.**

Three years ago, Tsuna never would have imagined going inside _the_ Kyoya Hibari's house, much less sleep in there **with several others.** He knew more than anyone else how his Cloud liked being alone, and hated being near crowds of any kind. He had softened quite a bit in all the years they fought together—and with each other—and had started to tolerate their presences more, even Mukuro. However, it was still hard to put 'Kyoya' and 'party' in the same sentence.

It was impossible.

But it happened.

Just moments ago.

Really.

Tsuna had no one in his early years, being outright useless does that to people. Every time his birthday came around, he only had his Mom, and occasionally, his Dad for company. He didn't have friends, and it was lonely.

Now, though, he had people around him who were grateful enough for his presence to celebrate his birth. Year after year, they never forgot. In return, he tried his hardest to remember too, and find ways to make each one memorable. Even Hibari.

He first found out the prefect's birthday from Reborn (go figure) who told him during the day itself and forced him to go around the town with Yamamoto, Gokudera and the others in tow, finding a perfect birthday gift for the prefect. In the end, they decided to pool their money to purchase a skylark box weapon for the animal-loving prefect.

He accepted it with a mere grunt, but Tsuna and the others knew gratitude when they saw one.

They were bitten to death for the entire ruckus they caused (can't go out without chaos) but it was clearly less painful than usual. Tsuna decided he liked less painful beatings, and so made a rule for gift-giving every time everyone's birthday came around.

For the others, they usually organize a party—often Reborn and his Vongola Style nonsense—but they had never tried it for the skylark. All of them wanted to, out of either morbid curiosity or fear of death. Reborn gave him a spiel about equality between subordinates, saying it was unfair for Hibari not to get a party when everyone else did.

"Hibari-san is going to kill me!" Tsuna exclaimed.

"No, he's not. _I_ am. Now go die once," Reborn shot him with a Dying Will Bullet: Improved, which lasted three hours.

By the time he surfaced from the haze of Dying Will he had managed to make a party venue of Hibari's own home and was half dead from exhaustion.

Kusakabe was trembling in the shadows.

Surprisingly, Kyoya wasn't all that angry. Sure, he threatened to bite them about a dozen times, but he did stay and accepted the gifts for about an hour before reaching his limit and starting an all-out war between everyone.

The house was wrecked. It was put in Tsuna's tab.

 _'Why me?'_ was the mafia boss' question before he smiled at his knocked out family and thought, 'Well, why not me?'

They fell asleep curled up on the floor. (All the futons except Hibari's was ruined, and they were all too tired to go home, their fight lasted from after lunch to after dinner, imagine that.)

 **.**

She was ten when the patriarch announced she would be married to Kyoya Hibari, his youngest son at the urging of his wife. Kyoya was twelve, and by family tradition obligated to leave the nest and fly out on his own. He explored China along with his trusted retainer, Kusakabe, leaving Maya to deal with the repercussions of such an ambitious pronouncement.

No one aside from the patriarch and his wife was actually in favour of the betrothal. Kyoya Hibari was a special existence in their eyes. He was strong, smart and ruthless—exactly the embodiment of perfect in the clan's eyes. A marriage with a girl who was about as weak as a new-born foal in comparison with the other girls in the family was about as scandalous as scandals get in the Hibari Clan.

The patriarch was resolute, and didn't listen to the arguments of others, high-ranking elders or not, he was the freaking patriarch for damn's sake. He'd decide who his son marries!

The status of the girl skyrocketed from then on. She was no longer ignored or bullied. The Lady of the House had personally overseen her studies, and taught her the manners of a queen, ways to get men to fall on your knees, and several different ways to kill a man and make it look like an accident. An hour each day, she was taught the makings of a wife and how to look perfect in public. How to speak properly, manipulate people, and lie with a smile. Organizing a party, making connections, flirting and seduction.

It was painful, learning. She never seemed to get things right, and to master the different skills Kushina-sama was trying to force on her took a lot of time and effort. Most Hibari are exceptionally talented people, and they acknowledge individuality. Each member have their own set of skill, their own specialty. They are all different, but the one thing they have in common was that they always were the best in their fields.

Maya's interest laid in literature, but although Kushina-sama seemed to acknowledge the importance of a literate mind in being a wife and mother, she didn't seem satisfied by it, and forced Maya to go through lessons after lessons of finance management, flower arrangement, bonsai-making, painting, piano, the flute, archery…

All the while, Kyoya was as free as a bird in the town of Namimori.

.

Inside a luxurious room with tall windows and silk curtains, ornate chairs and a chandelier, a woman wearing a flowing white dress stood staring outside, to the bright moon. In one corner, a man in a butler suit bowed, waiting.

"…She's gone?" The woman asked, voice smooth and rich, flowing through the air like bells. Or knives.

The butler nodded. "Hai, Kushina-sama. She left an hour ago with Kimura-san."

The corners of the woman's red, red lips lifted up.

 **.**

Tsuna was still awake when the knocks came. Yamamoto stirred in his sleep, but there was no real killing intent, so he kept his eyes closed, though his hand did come closer to his sword. Mukuro woke up, eyes like fire and ice in the darkness, and watched as his dear boss stood up, scratched his chin sleepily and walked to the front door.

He followed soundlessly.

When he saw the girl, his first thought was 'What?' and the when she called herself Kyoya's fiancée—since the house was Kyoya's, after all—he thought 'What the hell?' entirely too shocked to even react to the gun now pointed at the brunet's head.

And then Tsuna screamed, and everyone was clamouring towards him, weapons out and ready to cut through bones.

Yamamoto was first out, being the most alert. In a second he had managed to knock the gun out of the girl's hand and step in front of Tsuna, pointing the metal sword at the girl's neck.

"Who are you?" he said, his smile dripping with killing intent.

The girl fought the whimper that begged to cross her lips, feeling the cold edge on her skin. 'Where the hell was the bodyguard when you need him?' she thought. The bodyguard in question was currently sleeping on the floor after receiving a blow from Gokudera's _less_ explosive bombs, who woke up only a second later than Yamamoto and immediately went to his boss, cursing himself inside.

Bianchi followed soon after, wearing her goggles and holding a plate of innocent looking sushi in one hand, Chrome beside her, holding her trident.

Ryohei and Lambo slept like logs. Reborn watched the whole scene on the roof with Leon-monitor, sipping beer.

"Everyone!" the now panicked mafia boss yelled. "Don't hurt her! Yamamoto!" he yelled.

Yamamoto frowned. "Wasn't she trying to kill you?"

Gokudera piped in, "Yes, Jyuudaime, she's dangerous. She may be sent here by enemy Famiglia—"

"No! That's not it!"

"Eh, but she was pointing a gun at you," Yamamoto pointed out.

"No! Uh, yes, she was. But that's—"

"We should interrogate her, maybe have Chrome go through her mind," Bianchi suggested.

"No! We can't!" Tsuna screamed, terrified. _Why so fast? Can't we talk first?_

"But, Jyuudaime—"

"No!" He said firmly. _These people are psychotic!_

Yamamoto lowered his sword and smiled, though it was still in metal form. "Okay, then. If that's what you want, Tsuna."

"But, Jyuu—"

"What should we do with her then?" Bianchi asked.

Tsuna sighed, "I think there's just a misunderstanding." He stood up and looked at the girl—blushed slightly, but it was dark, no one would know—"Why don't we go inside and have a talk? You can answer our questions then, and maybe we can answer yours."

 **.**

The rowdy group ushered her to the living room, which was unrecognizable in its chaotic state. Their gazes were sharp and tense, and more than half leaked enough killing intent to revive a mummy. Maya nearly laughed. _They'd probably fit right in with the others_. She felt a pang with the words but ignored them.

"Mukuro?" The fragile-looking brown haired boy, who was apparently the leader of the intruders called out and at once the room was transformed back to its former state. Tatami mats on the floor, a wooden table, cushions…

Maya narrowed her eyes. _Illusions, huh._

Maya bit the inside of her lip, tasting the coppery taste of her own blood.

Her situation was not good.

They were strong. Maya knew she wouldn't against one of them without the element of surprise. Fighting one, two, three, four… another one in the shadow. Five on one.

"Um, why don't we all sit—sit down?" a nervous voice said. Grunts and nods followed, and before long the six of them were seated behind the table, all five on one side with Maya feeling all their suspicious stares on the other.

Another bite, another drop of blood.

When in doubt, be polite.

"My name is Maya. May I ask who you people are?" she said in as even tone as possible.

"Um, we're Hibari-san's friends..." the boy with caramel eyes said, "sort of."

"Kyoya-sama _doesn't_ have friends," she blurted, surprised. For as long as she knew Kyoya, he had never once acknowledged anyone as a friend.

She was getting antsy. She didn't like being put in awkward situations. She was starting to regret sneaking out to give her fiancée a birthday present. But she knew for a fact she was the only one in the family who cared enough to celebrate Kyoya's birthday.

And now she was faced with Kyoya's _friends._ Couldn't this get any more ridiculous?

"Haha, we are his friends though," said the guy who previously had his sword right at her neck. She knew for a fact this man was dangerous. Anyone with that skill and still remain so, so _cheerful_ must be a natural.

"I don't believe you," she accused, abandoning her manners in her agitation.

"Oy, woman! We're not asking you to believe us! And why are you the one asking questions, anyway? We brought you here to interrogate you!" yelled the loud silver-head who, from the start seemed to be itching to kill her.

The brown haired boy smiled sheepishly as he tried to calm the other.

"Maa, maa. Let's just go ask then!" said the swordsman chirpily, before regarding her with cold eyes. "Who are you, miss, and why were you pointing your gun at Tsuna?"

Hmm, what to do?

Maya considered her options. Truthfully, she didn't have much. Every single one of these people are at least three times stronger than her, and they also have her gun. She had a couple of poison needles in her clothes, a pair of daggers and a whip, but while she could use them well enough, her mastery of any of those weapons were still very much lacking. She couldn't go against experienced fighters, it would only get her killed. And she knew without a doubt that these people were.

So, fighting out.

Escape? No, too little stamina. Can't drive. Her chauffeur was also knocked out.

Only one thing left. Diplomacy.

Now, how would she go about this?

Lie? There was no point. She was practically Kyoya's stalker, but she didn't have enough information about him that would get him in trouble. And, anyway, if they really were Kyoya's friends, wouldn't they be nice to his fiancée?

Truth then.

She subtly pushed her hair behind her ears, a common seductive gesture drilled into her head even before she went through puberty. It wasn't nearly as good as Kushima-sama, but she was glad to at least have one blushing man in front of her. It made her feel strength she didn't have.

She needed that.

She bowed her head slightly, looking up slowly—Tsuna blushed—and introduced herself. "I am Kyoya's fiancée. I came here to give a gift to Kyoya for his birthday. I live quite far, that's why I'm this late. I was expecting Kusakabe to open the door, since no one else is allowed in here, that's why I was suspicious when someone…" she glanced at the boy "else opened it for me."

From the moment the word fiancée was said, the other occupants of the room had gone frozen. Of course, since they knew all too well what kind of personality Hibari had, they never expected him to have a girl of all people. A fiancée! Didn't that mean they were going to get married, tied down? Hibari? No, no, no, too much!

Unsurprisingly, though, Yamamoto was the only one not fazed by the thought. He turned sheepish, and slightly guilty smile at the girl. "Ah! So you're Kyoya's fiancée? Um, sorry about the sword earlier. Did I hurt you?"

She ignored him and asked instead, "Did he allow you to call him by his name?"

"Huh? Oh! Everyone calls him by his name, so I just copied them. He doesn't seem to mind much."

"Ho?" Once again she was surprised. Something inside her bubbled up. Something dark, and hot and…

Blagh. One of the sliding doors were snapped open loudly.

"Ah, um, Hi-Hibari-san…" she turned her gaze to the stuttering boy facing a murderous Kyoya. He sort of reminded her a lot of five year old Maya who was scared of everyone. Unwittingly, her gaze turned cold which caused the other occupants in the room to shiver uncomfortably.

"Eto…" the boy said awkwardly, looking everywhere but her.

Maya didn't really want to believe them, in fact, she'd have preferred to face six serial killers than sex 'friends of Kyoya'. Being around them suffocated her. The familiarity they have with each other. The casual use of his name. The desecration of his house…

What she would do to have all that privilege.

 **.**

Maya felt cold.

The moment Kyoya Hibari in all his glory, wearing his usual navy yukata, came into the room, her heart started pounding painfully. It was the usual reaction to the man she loved. She reveled in it. But it didn't last long.

The moment Kyoya Hibari stepped into the room, his gaze wasn't on her—the only person outside of Kusakabe who he even talked to—but on the boy. The brown haired boy looked back, paling. Kyoya raised an immaculate eyebrow to which the boy smiled wanly and the two of them communicated in a way only them, and the others understood.

Maya felt like an outsider. It was such a familiar feeling. One she had felt ever second of every day ever since her parents left her in the Main House.

The bitter taste of iron filled her mouth as her teeth dug deeper on her tongue.

"What are you doing here?"

"I—" _don't stutter!"—_ came to give you a gift, Kyouya-sama." _Smile, smile, smile. Just always smile. One day he'll smile back at you too._ "I wanted to greet you personally so I came here." _Go on, smile!_ "Ha-happy birthday…K-kyoya…sama…" _What are you doing? Smile!_

Her bangs were now right on her eyes, prickling inside and sending her to tears.

Yes, it's just that. It was just pricked.

"Hn." Kyoya took the small box and turned away. "Wake up the driver and go home."

! "Kyoya!" was the surprised yelp of the brown-haired boy.

Heh. Wasn't that so typical.

…Go home, he said.

Where?

"Oi, Kyoya, that's cruel! You didn't even thank her!" said the guy who just previously held a sharp object at her throat.

"Yeah, Kyoya. Also, it's really late. Why don't you just stay here for now? You can leave in the morning," suggested the brown-haired boy. He was acting like this was his house, who did he think he was?

'Kyoya's friend. That mythical being.'

She smiled bitterly and fixed her feet with a glare as she stood up, bowed and left without a word of farewell.

"…Eh? Ma-maya-san! It's late, you should stay here!"

"That's right, you shouldn't mind that damn bird."

"Kufufu."

"…Maya-san? Are you crying?"

"…"

 _._

"I'm not crying. I'm not crying," she chanted on the way back to the Main House. "I'm not crying."

* * *

Basically, Maya and Kyoya are relatives, but kind of distant. You know how those Chinese clans have those main house, branch house thing? It's sort of like Kyoya is the heir of the main house while Maya was from a small branch.


	3. Chapter 2

**Maya is 16, and she is the same age as Tsuna and the others. Hibari, Ryohei and Mukuro are older by two years, so they're eighteen. Hibari's birthday (last chapter) is at May 5, so I believe that would put them at the summer** ** _before_** **high school.**

真夜: Maya, true night (in the Philippines Maya is a name given to most passerine birds, like sparrows, finches and skylarks)

恭弥: Kyoya, (something like) extreme respect or most reverent

Note: This fic deviates from canon in that the future war with Byakuran and so there was no Inheritance Ceremony just yet. Also, the Rainbow Representative War hasn't happened either.

* * *

 **Chapter Two  
Mystery Girl**

"Is there something bothering you, Tsu-kun?" Nana asked concernedly as Tsuna nearly broke yet another plate. She was aware how clumsy her child was, but ever since Reborn-kun came three years ago, Tsuna has steadily overcome his clumsiness and even learned to have some grace in his movement. Sometimes, she watched him and his friends walk to school and was still amazed at how different his steps were from the old Tsu-kun. He very rarely tripped and fell nowadays, so for him to revert to his pre-Reborn self, there must be something weighing on his mind.

"Eh?" Tsuna turned, surprised to see his mother behind him. "Ah, Okaa-san. I'm fine, I was just thinking about the party last week."

"Hm, Kyoya-kun's birthday, wasn't it? Did something happen?"

Tsuna sighed, turning back to washing dishes. His mother may act stupid most of the time, but she was one of the most perceptive people he knew. He wondered what she would think about that girl...

"Did you know that Kyoya has a fiancee, okaa-san? She came to his house late in the night to bring him a gift and we were all so shocked..."

"Oh, does he? I guess that isn't so surprising." Nana said.

"Huh? I just said we were all surprised, didn't I?"

"Well, if you really think about it, considering the family he's from, that's nothing unusual."

"What do you mean?" Tsuna turned, wiping his hands with a towel. "His family? Do you know his family, okaa-san?"

Nana shook her head. "No, not really. I just heard some rumours a few year back. It seems the Hibari's are descended from warriors or something like that."

Tsuna frowned, _I guess that makes sense. That's probably where Kyoya got his obsession with order._

"Hm, so what was it that was bothering you?" Nana asked.

 _Didn't I just tell you?_ "It was nothing. I just never expected Kyoya would want to be tied up by something like marriage. He's always so..."

"Ah," Nana smiled kindly. "But people have many different sides to them, Tsu-kun. Sometimes people do things we would never have expected from their day to day behavior." _Like you, for one._

Tsuna pondered this thought the entire day.

.

Kusakabe knocked on the door to the Reception Room before entering. He was greeted by the familiar sight of Kyoya Hibari behind his desk, signing on papers. He looked less like a stern disciplinarian and more of a CEO this way, and it still amazed him to think that this eighteen year old man who by rights wasn't even out of high school yet was responsible for the welfare of the entire city of Namimori.

He was a truly terrifying man.

Kyoya looked up and, chilled to the bone by the sheer intensity of those silver orbs, Kusakabe started his report. "Team Sword has successfully neutralized the Yang Chi gang, Chairman. They are cleaning up their hide-out as we speak. Team Gun has also finished neutralizing the Yakuza in downtown. The theft group led by Yamachiro has been transferred to the police. As for that other matter..." Kusakabe trailed off.

The glare Kyoya sent his way was freezing. "Spit it out."

"Um," he cleared his throat. "It seems Lady Kushima is planning on enrolling Maya-ojou in Namimori—"

The raven-haired prefect stood abruptly. Kusakabe gulped at the razor sharp glare that was thrown his way. "Get the car ready," barked Kyoya. "It's time to go home."

.

Maya tried to calm down her erratic heartbeat as she read the document in front of her. "High School?" she asked in a deceptively calm voice. "In Namimori?"

Kushima shrugged nonchalantly. "You're already sixteen. And since it's apparent that you're just not suited for the underworld, I think it's high time we let you roam free in an environment that fit's you."

Maya gulped. What did this mean for her? She knew she was some type of defective product, as far as the rest of the family was concerned. Not even her parents bothered with her when she failed to 'graduate' successfully years prior. As a result, instead of being allowed to travel she was stuck in the Main House. She was only able to get permission to come out once a year, during Kyoya's birthday.

Remembering the disastrous date, Maya flinched. "But why in Namimori? Wouldn't Kyoya-sama be mad?"

Kushima's grin was sly. "Kyoya's reaction doesn't matter. And, anyway, since you'll be pretty much civilian from here on out, he shouldn't be harming you. That boy is as honorable as honorable goes." The last sentence was said in derision, but Maya had a feeling she was secretly proud of her son. But Maya still wasn't sure what all of this meant.

"How, How about t-training?"

"Didn't you listen to a single word I said?" Kushima said. "You're not training anymore. From here on out, you are no longer a Hibari."

.

It was time to get the plot moving, Kushima decided. She was well aware she must have wrecked the poor girl's world with her words, but there was no getting around to it. Maya was simply not blossoming as a Hibari. She didn't think Maya was weak, quite the opposite. Her strength was just something that couldn't be shown in the cruel environment the family fostered. Loath as she was to let go of such a special creature, Kushima was confident that this was the route that they would all benefit most from.

Now, all she had to do was wait for her son.

He might not be the knight in shining armor the stories told of, but he would do.

.

 **Bit short, but meh. Tell me what you think. All by accident, I'm mostly in Haikyuu mode right now so it's hard to get into this, but I try.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Listen to Dreaming Alone by Against the Current Feat. Taka from One Ok Rock.**  
 **It's. A. MA. Ziiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!**

* * *

 **Chapter Three**  
 **Don't Lie, Bright Eyes**

Kyoya remembered the first time he saw Maya like it happened mere seconds ago. He was seven years old and already stronger than many of his peers. She was five and as weak as a baby bird. She tripped on her feet as she entered the Main House and the others laughed at her. Her chubby face was bright red with shame, but she didn't cry. Instead, she held her chin up high and challenged them all with her defiant eyes.

The old man behind her urged her to introduce herself to the flock of baby predators in the room, and she did so bravely, as befitting a Hibari.

"My name is Maya."

Maya. Maya. Maya.

She was so unlike the other Hibari girls. So small, so fragile, so...sweet.

He remembered she smiled a lot. She would laugh at the smallest things, even when she was so often bullied by the others who didn't appreciate her sense of beauty. She wasn't physically strong. She was average, smarts-wise. And she wasn't the prettiest girl in the world.

But there was only one Maya for one Hibari Kyoya.

He gritted his teeth.

.

Kusakabe respected Hibari Kyoya, but not even he would say for certain that Kyoya was a good man. He was honorable, sure, though that in itself was questionable. His sense of honor was not something most people would agree with, but he had one. A heart, however, now, that Kusakabe wouldn't know.

From what he could see, Kyoya didn't seem to care much for anything. On the surface, he seemed to care just fine for Namimori, but while he did protect the town from outsiders and undisciplined citizens and thugs, most of the damage the town receive actually came from the prefect himself. So, did he actually care for Namimori? Kusakabe didn't think so. It seemed to him more that Kyoya considered Namimori his territory, where only he had the freedom to do as he pleased.

The Vongola Guardians were another matter. Kusakabe knew Kyoya, at the very least, respected them for their strength, and could even tolerate some crowding from the rowdy group, but Kusakabe didn't think it was out of affection. Most probably, he was fostering their strengths just so he could bit them to death at their best.

Now, Maya-ojou. That was a complicated matter that made Kusakabe's head hurt.

Kusakabe knew there was history there, although what kind of history he didn't know. Kyoya acted as protective of Maya as Namimori, but he also often spurned the other in some way or another. Kyoya never seemed to have kind words for the poor girl, though to be fair, Kyoya didn't have kind words for _anybody._ Nevertheless, it was obvious that the girl was feeling something for the young master. Kyoya's feelings-if he even had them-were hard to understand. Kusakabe wouldn't say he was in love with the girl, but he wasn't _not in_ love with her either. Maya was special to Kyoya, though in what way was a question Kusakabe wasn't certain he would ever know.

.

Maya felt like there was a bubble around her head. She couldn't hear anything, couldn't feel a single thing. What Kushima said shocked her. It was something she knew was an absolute possibility, but never consciously thought of before.

 _"You are no longer a Hibari."_

What did that mean? If she wasn't a Hibari, what was she then?

Who was she?

Something hot bubbled in her chest. It was hard to breathe. She closed her eyes in an attempt to stop the tears. She was strong. She wouldn't cry. She was-

 _Not_ a Hibari.

Oh, Kamisama. What was she supposed to do?

.

When Kyoya and Kusakabe arrived at the Main House, it was night. The whole compound was silent as a ghost town, and Maya was sleeping fitfully in her bed for the last time. Kushima was in the parlor, sipping a specially brewed tea. Her husband sat stone-faced across from her.

They waited soundlessly for their wayward son to come in.

And he did, but he wasn't quiet in any way.

.

It was not necessary to unleash Roll on the poor front door was Kusakabe's opinion, but what he thought didn't matter to the furious young master arriving back at home for the first time in eight years. Kyoya was angry. Why? Kusakabe didn't know. What he knew was that the sight of Kyoya brandishing his Cloud chains and tonfa's, his eyes blazing with unrestrained fury was not something he would be forgetting anytime soon.

.

"Where is she?" were his first words to his Mother.

Kushima lamented the lack of manners and respect in his tone, but she supposed she shouldn't have expected anything less from her most volatile son. Especially since it concerned the little bird he picked up.

"In her room," she replied evenly. "Would you care for some tea?"

"I don't give a shit about your damn tea-"

"Language," murmured Kushima. Kyoya glared at her.

"I don't give a shit about language either. What are you planning now, Mother?"

"What do you think?" was her only answer.

.

Maya woke up at the first bang. Her bed shook from the impact. Earthquake? was her first thought, but then she saw the silver spikes sticking out of her door.

She blinked, her eyes still groggy from sleep. She wondered if she was dreaming.

.

"You can't send her to Namimori," Kyoya announced.

Kushima only looked at him with a soft smile.

"You can't," he insisted. "She's not safe there."

"And you care about her safety, why?"

Kyoya growled. "Don't play your games with me, Mother."

"I'm not," Kushima said sincerely. "This is mere logic. She's not made for this world, and so I'm asking her to leave."

"And what will happen to her?"

"She'll be in your care," Kushima said breezily.

"Why now?"

"Because there is no other time."

.

Maya was dreaming. She was wrapped in strong arms, rocking with every step. A voice said to her, "Stay asleep, Maya. Stay asleep."

And so she slept, but not before she felt warm lips on her cheek.

* * *

Did you people watch eLdlive yet? It's cute. Haha I'm pretty sure there was some allusion to Tsuna there.


	5. Chapter 4

**So, I'm just basically posting as I go along. I have exams and I'm going crazy.**

 **Kyoya was so OOC last chapter, but I'm sure there's a reason for that. (Maybe.)**

 **P.S. About the review by Alex-san...eto, what did that mean? Is that a bad OMG, or a good OMG? ..**

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

 **The Beginning**

"Are you sure about this?" her husband inquired, his face as carefully blank as ever.

Kushima sighed. "Do you not trust me at all?"

"You are dangerous when you're bored," was the reply.

Kushima blinked innocently. "And what makes you say so?"

It was her husband's turn to sigh. "Is the fact that you are pairing up those two evidence enough?"

"Hmm? Do you not think Kyoya and Maya suit each other?" Kushima said curiously.

"I think they will kill each other."

.

Maya found herself in Kyoya's house once again, but this time, the house was silent. She was in one of the guest rooms, one she had been allowed to use in several occasions. Maya breathed in deeply. What was she supposed to make of this situation. Last thing she remembered was falling asleep on her bed in the Main House after crying for hours due to being, er, disowned by Lady Kushima.

Now she was here...

She gulped, and lifted the blanket covering her body. She frowned in confusion. Her clothes were different from what she last remembered.

There was a knock that startled her. Instinctively, she held the covers over her body and crawled back. Then she stupidly chastised herself for such a stupid thought. What harm could come to her in Kyoya-sama's home? But what if his rowdy friends were here? What would they do to her? She recalled one was definitely up to killing her.

(Gokudera sneezed. Tsuna frowned in concern. "Are you cold, Hayato?")

"Mya-ojou, are you awake?" called the familiar voice of Kusakabe.

Maya breathed a sigh of relief. She relaxed her shoulders and sat in a dignified manner out of habit. "Hai, Kusakabe-san. Did you need something?"

"I just thought you would want a change of clothes, and some food. You have been asleep for a long time. It is nearly noon. Do you need me to run the bath for you?"

Maya licked her lips. She wasn't feeling particularly dirty but..."I would appreciate it, Kusakabe-san. Is Kyoya-sama home?"

There was a shuffling sound. "Kyo-san is out patrolling, Maya-ojou, but he should be back in time for lunch. He had said that he would like to talk to you about something."

Maya was grateful that a wooden panel separated her from the other man as her face immediately heated up at the prospect of 'talking' with Kyoya. "I have it bad," she mumbled.

.

It was Saturday, and as was expected, Kyoya was in the Reception Room of Namimori Middle. Technically he was a high school student, but little things like that mattered not for the prefect. He would stay wherever he wanted and pity those who would think to stop him. His men were out patrolling the streets of his territory, and while he would usually gone with them—approximately two miles apart—of course, at the moment he had much more important things to do.

Like setting up Maya's transfer documents. Since Maya had no formal schooling _at all_ she didn't have any records from Middle School, and so she _technically_ wouldn't have been allowed to go tp High School, but since he was basically the King of Namimori, he had ways. It helped that his mother had already made up some fake birth and residency records for her, so at least she was considered a real citizen.

Kyoya pored over documents for hours, and by the time he was done Maya was a bonafide student at Namimori High School. Now to inform her...

.

"Starting next week, you'll be attending NamiHigh," announced Kyoya. Maya smiled serenely and nodded. Inside, she was a nervous wreck.

 _Kyoya-sama is eating in front of me! What should I do?_

 _Okay, I'll be going to high—eh?_

 _High School?Oh, right. Lady Kushima did say something about that. But I don't really know what to do in a school._

 _And Kyoya-sama is drinking in front of me. Kamisama!_

"Maya-ojou, are you okay?"

Leaning down so she could glare at Kusakabe without being noticed by Kyoya, she thought, _Now if only this old man can vanish without a trace, I would enjoy this meal more._

Kusakabe blanched.

.

"This doesn't seem so bad," Maya confessed at the end of the meal. Kusakabe had left suddenly after getting a call from one of the men—in truth he just couldn't stand the cold air from Maya anymore—and they were finally left alone.

It astounded Maya how comfortable the atmosphere was between them. It had always been like this. When it was just the two of them, they got along really well and Kyoya would even engage her in a lively conversation, but in front of other people he was usually cold and harsh. She didn't understand it, but this was Kyoya-sama so she would take what she could get.

"What does?" asked the raven-haired man. Maya smiled at him.

"This. All of this. When Lady Kushima told me that I wasn't a Hibari anymore, I was really sad. I knew it was possible, since that is what usually happens to failures like me, but I guess I still hoped it wouldn't happen. I mean, I don't know anything aside from being a Hibari, so I thought, what would happen to me? But this is great too," Maya paused. "Being out of that house feels like a heavy weight is lifted from my shoulders." She beamed, "And being near you makes me really happy."

They were quiet for a while, Kyoya sipping on his tea as she watched. Then he said, "This is only temporary."

Maya hated being pessimistic, but she really didn't see anything positive out of that statement.

 _Does that mean he doesn't want me here? Am I a temporary guest?_ Was she being evicted this early? Oh dear, would she be homeless?

But then he added, "You may have been disowned, but you wouldn't be an outsider for long."

"Ano, what does that mean Kyoya-sama?"

He smiled. _He smiled!_ "You are adorably stupid," Eh?" "Aren't you my fiancee?"

.

Later that night, Kusakabe knocked on Kyoya's room. He uttered a soft "pardon my inttrusion" and upon hearing a light grunt from his boss, he slid the door open, stepped inside and promptly froze.

The scene he stumbled upon was peculiar. It was more akin to a dream than reality. He blinked twice.

Kyoya looked up to his second in command and Kusakabe couldn't help but notice that his face looked softer than usual. But then, he was holding a sleeping girl in his arms and lovingly stroking her hair. Kusakabe blinked again. Was he possibly dreaming?

Kyoya sighed. "Don't just stand there and come in. What is it?"

Kusakabe cleared his throat and did his best to ignore the shoujo manga-esque picture in front of him. He started his report and neither of them took note of the fact that his voice was higher than usual and he stammered at odd intervals. Once he finished, Kyoya lifted the girl off him and laid her on the futon. Kusakabe looked away as the prefect gently covered the girl with a blanket.

"Make sure to keep at least five guards on her round the clock, Tetsuya," the prefect said suddenly. The air around him seemed to tense and darken. "Namimori is a den of wolves and I want to ensure that none of them comes near her, understood?"

Kusakabe nodded, resisting the urge to salute. Kyoya did not appreciate such gestures. Unable to stop his curiosity he asked, "Um, is Maya-ojou really that important to you, Kyo-san?"

The look the prefect gave him would be seared into his mind for years to come. "What do you think?"

.

 **Uh huh. What do you think? This was really awkward to write. Sigh. Next chapter they start school so there should be an appearance from the rest of the gang. And what did you think of Kyoya's feelings for Maya? Is it believable? Boring? Ridiculous? Haha**


	6. Chapter 5

Hibari's feelings for Maya are intentionally vague for several reasons. One, I don't think even Hibari himself knows what it is he's feeling for Maya, and two, their interactions are mostly told from the eyes of other people. The Kyoya in the canon is really hard to understand, the only things that are concrete about his personality are his hate for crowds and his 'love' for Namimori. (Plus his fondness for small animals.) We don't really know much about him, and only Kusakabe seemed even remotely 'close' to him, but even that has its limitations, so seeing Kyoya treat anyone kindly is new. This is a source of confusion for everyone, even Maya herself.

I think the real question is, what makes Maya so special?

P.S. I want you guys to know that I appreciate your reviews. ^^ They make me think happy thoughts.

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

 **Small Animal**

Maya liked her uniform. It was a long-sleeved, white blouse with a red ribbon paired with a black skirt. It came with Mary janes and white knee socks. She also had a black blazer with the Namimori emblem on the left breast pocket for winter. Wearing it made her feel like an anime character.

Smiling, she twirled around in front of the mirror and posed like Sailor Moon.

"What are you doing?" said an amused voice from the doorway.

Maya froze, her breath hitching. Red-faced, she turned to see a smartly-dressed Kyoya leaning on the doorjamb, his gakuran hanging on his shoulders. "Um, I, uh, I was j-just," she mumbled incoherently. Disgraced, she covered her face with her hands and yelled, "I'm so sorry, Kyoya-sama!"

Shaking his head, Kyoya chuckled. It was a rare sound and made Maya's heart go 'doki-doki'. _Oh, my goodness, what is up with my anime references today?_ She was acting so shamefully. She thought of Lady Kushima's reaction if she had seen her and shuddered. It was a good she couldn't see Maya at the moment.

"Come on, we need to get going," Kyoya said and turned to leave. Hurriedly, Maya grabbed her bag and ran after the prefect, her shorter strides making it hard to catch up. They walked to the school, Maya a few paces behind him as Kyoya went and disciplined several stragglers they met along the way. Maya couldn't help but feel incredibly uneasy. She wasn't sure what to expect at this school thing. She was grateful to Kyoya for taking her in, but she was still in a precarious position. The family had vehemently protested the arrangement when she was still a part of the family, no doubt they would find her banishment apt reason to eliminate her entirely.

As she was, even _she_ herself didn't think she was suitable to be Kyoya's wife. And now that she lost her main backer, Lady Kushima...

"Maya," Kyoya called, stopping her from her reverie. "We're here." He threw a black rectangular object at her.

Maya looked down at the sleek black phone in her hands. "Eh?" When she looked up, Kyoya was yards away, his gakuran fluttering in the breeze.

"Kyoya-sama..."

.

Namimori High School was huge. Being used to living in a mansion-like structure, Maya wasn't really intimidated by the size, but she did feel awkward walking in the midst of the sea of people. Many of them were looking at her, wondering who the new face was. A few had seen her talking with the 'Hibari Kyoya' and were speculating who she was to the prefect.

A new underling? A family member? There was a resemblance in their facial structures, but no one could really tell they were from the same family at a glance. They had the same straight, black hair, but so did about half of the population in Japan.

So, who was she?

Maya wouldn't have minded the curious stares and inquiries if they weren't so blatantly expressed. The guy in front of her was gossiping to his friend that he had seen Hibari kiss 'her' at the front gate, which was a nice thought but outright false, never mind that the 'her' they were talking about was within hearing distance.

Was this what school was about?

She remembered that the kids at the Main House were rowdy together and tended to fight with words as much as in actions, but this unintelligible babble was just...

She sighed.

"Maa, maa, that was a deep sigh, Maya-chan. Do you not like school very much?" a laughing voice said at her ear, followed by a yell of, "Oi, yakyuu-baka! Don't just run off from Tenth like that!"

Maya tensed and turned. Beside her was the swordsman who very nearly cut off her head on Kyoya-sama's birthday. A chill of terror crawled up her spine. _What were they doing here? Did they go to this school too? Of course they do! I don't have my guns, how should I-_

"Ah!" exclaimed the swordsman. He waved to a couple of figures at a distance. "Look what I found, Kyoya's fiancee!"

You could have heard a pin drop at the absolute silence that followed his declaration.

Maya saw a familiar brunet face palm.

.

Tsuna and Gokudera caught up with Yamamoto. Immediately, his two closest friends started bantering with each other. Accustomed to their daily squabbles, Tsuna tuned them out and smiled sheepishly to the girl. What was her name again? Maya?

"I'm sorry about that, Maya-san. We didn't know you transferred here. What class are you?"

The girl just looked at him blankly. Tsuna flushed. He was used to Haru getting in his face, but being stared at by such an angelic face was getting him flustered. He cleared his throat in an attempt to relieve the tension. "Um, M-Maya-san?"

Maya looked down and muttered softly.

Tsuna leaned forward, unable to hear. "What was that, Maya-san?"

"I don't know." She looked away, frowning.

Tsuna blinked enchanted by the way the sun hit her face. "You-you don't know?" Huh? What were they talking about again?

She glared, making Tsuna step back. "I said, I don't know."

Heart pounding. Tsuna tried to call up words, "Um, well, we should go to the, uh, um."

"Oi, devil-woman, what are you doing, flustering the Tenth like this?"

"Maa, maa, I'm sure Tsuna is just being shy. What were you two talking about?"

"She doesn't know what her class is," said Tsuna weakly.

"Oh? Then let's go to the admin building first," decided Yamamoto. He ushered the three reluctant teenagers to the direction of the administration. "We'll accompany you, Maya-chan!"

.

Maya didn't know what she got herself into. They finally able to get her class schedule from the registration, but only after a bout of quarreling that included bombing the soccer field and setting a few trees on fire. She was quiet for the duration of it, because neither the black-haired swordsman nor the silver-haired bomber allowed her to get a word edgewise, and the scrawny brunet was off sighing to the side, completely useless.

And these people were Kyoya-sama's friends? They were as uncivilised as monkeys and as barbaric as bulls. Being around them exhausted Maya like she ran around the Hibari Mountain three times.

What did Kyoya-sama even see in them?

Sure, they were physically strong, but no more than many of their clan. She had seen plenty of people stronger than them. She observed the brunet out of the corner of her eyes. Tsuna, was it? He seemed like the ringleader back at Kyoya-sama's house, but looking closely he was more of a bunny than a wolf. He was the least aggressive of his friends, and though the silver boy seemed to defer to him, he didn't seem all that inclined to follow the brunet's please to 'please, stop destroying the schoolyard'.

Maya sighed, dodging a stick of dynamite that flew her way.

"Hiee! Hayato, you're going to hurt somebody!"

What is this situation?

.

"Kyo-san..." Kusakabe called tentatively. Kyoya was at his desk as usual, signing off papers, Hibird on his head. On cue, a sound of explosion was heard.

Kyoya was on his feet at the next second, his tonfas out in a flash of silver.

Kusakabe sighed. Sometimes his job was so troublesome.

.


	7. Chapter 6

As I mentioned in one of the previous chapters, anything past the Varia Arc did not happen here so unfortunately, Byakuran and Enma's gangs won't be making an appearance. (Subject to change Lol.) Gomen.

* * *

 **Chapter Six**

 **Outsider**

Kusakabe arrived at the field to see Kyoya and Tsuna locked in battle, just as he was expecting. Gokudera was off to the side, being restrained by Yamamoto who was saying, "Maa, maa, let them play alone for a while, Hayato. _Have you forgotten the last time you fought Kyoya?"_

Kusakabe recalled that 'fight'. It was, sadly for Gokudera, completely one-sided. By the end of it, the bomber was demolished. Enough said.

Kusakabe searched for the raven head of Maya. He found her several paces from the rowdy Storm and Rain, face pale and eyes wide. He wondered if she was bothered by the violence, but quickly dismissed the thought as he knew that the Hibari was one of the most violent families in existence. Just look at Kyoya.

"Maya-ojou, would you like me to accompany you to your class?"

The girl looked at him in confusion. "Shouldn't you, like, stop them or something?" She pointed to the cracked concrete. "They're destroying public property. And it's broad daylight."

Kusakabe smiled blankly. "I have no intention to die today, Ojou-san. And I definitely will if I get between Kyo-san and his prey."

Maya's frown deepened. "But, aren't they friends?"

"That depends on how you define friends, Ojou-san."

.

Tsuna considered Kyoya his friend, family, in a way, and he liked to think the feeling was mutual. Of course, this did not mean he got free pass from getting 'bitten to death' every time he and his friends disrupted the peace, which was, unfortunately, quite often. He wished his Guardians would show some restraint, but the word didn't seem to exist in their vocabularies, and so he found himself often at the end of Kyoya's tonfas. Why he got punished in lieu of his friends, he did not know, but that seemed like the consensus between Kyoya and Reborn, and who was he to question such overpowered monsters?

At the very least, it was great practice. (Though still painful.)

"I'll pay the damages this time, I swear! I'll have it fixed by the end of the day," he tried negotiating.

Kyoya's smile was full of teeth. "Of course you are, but that doesn't meant I won't still bite you to death."

Tsuna dodged yet another chain and sighed.

.

Maya hated to think anyone could be as strong as Kyoya, but she had to admit the little guy was holding up quite well. She never would have expected it from his tiny frame, but Sawada Tsunayoshi was rather fit. He was fast, had great reflexes, and was very nimble on his feet. He didn't have much strength, muscle-wise, but he made up for it in speed and sheer will.

Admirable, for someone without Hibari blood.

Maya licked her lips, her eyes shining bright without her knowing.

 _An omnivore,_ she decided, feeling wave of curiosity. _Interesting._ Was this why Kyoya-sama kept him around?

Out of nowhere, Tsuna tripped and fell right on Kyoya's chains, tangling himself in the process.

Maya's jaw dropped minutely.

"I take it back," said the girl vehemently.

Kusakabe looked at her questioningly.

Maya turned and stomped to the school building.

.

While Tsuna struggled to get out of the cocoon of chain he found himself in, Kyoya observed Maya. Seeing her frustrated steps, he held in a smile.

(Are you realizing it now? There are many kinds of people in the world, and the best of them are right here.)

"Pick yourself up, little animal," he said, kicking Tsuna towards his henchmen. The silver one yelled profanities at him, which Kyoya dutifully ignored. "You're late for class, and it's just the first day."

.

Chrome Dokuro didn't honestly enjoy school. Until recently, going to school only spelled bullying and stratification and more bullying. Being in Namimori Middle was different, because here she had friends who treated her well, but she still hadn't completely shaken off the feeling of terror as she stepped into the classroom every day. First days were the worst.

Taking a deep breath, she mustered the courage to open the door. She was regretting being late, but there really wasnothing she could do about the fact that Ken and Chikusa were being such babies and needed constant attention. She wished Mukuro-sama would reign them in better, but Mukuro was as much an attention seeker at the best times. Chrome adored all of them, but they seriously exhausted her.

And now she had to face the consequences of being late for the first day of school. She wondered why Kyoya wasn't here to scold her yet, but decided not to question her luck. Shehad very little enough as it is.

Now, if she could just get the door to open by itself...Hmm, that wasn't such a bad idea. Make an illusion of the principal and slip in unnoticed...

"What are you doing?" said a voice behind her. Startled, Chrome jumped and quickly snapped her trident into its full length.

"Huh?"

.

Maya was used to people attacking her out of the blue. Lady Kushima found it amusing when she startled and tripped and hurt herself, all in the name of training, but she could honestly say she had never been attacked by a stranger before. Except that time with Kyoya-sama's friends. (She wondered if it was worse that her 'family' hurt her more often than other people did.) And never with such an unusual weapon.

She touched the tip of the trident with a tentative finger, surprised to feel it prick the skin. She looked at the blood pooling on her finger dumbly. "Oh, it's sharp," she said. A sliver of pain was felt. Maya grinned sheepishly. "That was stupid of me, I guess." She turned to the girl, who now she noticed looked awfully familiar. She couldn't fathom where she had seen her before, though. She had encountered many strange people in her like but no one with quite this level of...uh, fashion sense?

 _What is up with that hair? And that eye patch?_ It was a testament to her training that her face remained neutral as she thought these.

Recalling her manners, she bowed slightly and introduced herself. "My name is Maya." She didn't mention a surname because she wasn't sure if she was allowed to use Hibari considering she was technically not a Hibari anymore. But then, what would she use? "I'm a new student, like you. And it seems we are in the same class, so let's get along, shall we?"

She surreptitiously wiped her bloodied index finger on her skirt.

.

Chrome could only stare at the strange girl in front of her. At first glance, she was like any normal Japanese girl, maybe prettier and more well-kept than most, but her instincts told her she was anything but. And her actions just now proved it. People normally were scared, or at the very least startled when Chrome pulled a weapon at them, not...whatever it was she had been. Blank? Curious? From her experience, only seasoned fighters reacted that way towards a deadly weapon, and they were almost all in the Mafia. Was this girl from some family? Could she be a spy? Chrome couldn't help but feel suspicious of the fact that she didn't mention a last name either. Was she hiding her affiliation?

Her single purple eye narrowed, she pushed the trident closerto the girl-close enough that Chrome could easily hurt her if she wished, but far enough to avoid cutting. Chrome didn't want to cut her up. Yet.

.


	8. Chapter 7

.

* * *

 **Chapter Seven**

 **Greed**

"Who are you?" Chrome asked accusingly, not moving an inch. If this girl was an enemy, she would make sure to dispose of her before she caused more trouble for Boss. Bossu had enough trouble with his own Guardians as it is. Chrome didn't think he would survive being attacked by a pretty girl. He had been raised too much of a gentleman, really, but that was one of the best things about him. Not that Mukuro-sama agreed.

The girl smiled wryly and tried to take a step back. Chrome's trident followed her. The girl sighed. "I just told you, didn't I? I'm Maya." To herself, she muttered, " _Why are the people here so hostile?"_

"Maya who?" Chrome urged.

The girl's cheeks took a pinkish hue. In a soft voice, she answered. "Hibari."

Chrome blanched, denying the possibility in her head altogether. One Hibari in this small town was enough. If this girl truly was Kyoya's kin... Chrome's eye blazed red. She would get rid of her. "Liar!"

The eye patched girl pounced.

.

Before she could reach the girl, though, a flash of silver blinded her, and the next second she found her trident on the ground, broken neatly in half. In front of her was a furious Kyoya, shielding a shaken Maya, who honestly never expected the frail girl would attack her like that. Maya thought she was weird sure, with her hair style and gothic outfit plus the odd weapon, but the girl didn't feel like an enemy to her. Which was of course, illogical, seeing as she had threatened her the very second they laid eyes on each other.

Maya shuddered. She got the feeling she went out of the pan only to be put directly on the fire.

The people here were seeming worse and worse than the Hibari's by the second. At least she knew Kushima would never permanently harm her.

But eyepatch girl... Maya gulped, remembering the split second before Kyoya intervened, when she thought the tip of the spear would go through her head for real.

That would be an awful way to die.

.

Kyoya had known it was a bad idea. Exposing Maya to the Vongola was a sure recipe for disaster, which was why he wanted to do it in small doses. The party at his house was unexpected. He had reacted badly then, and he knew the way Sawada Tsunayoshi and his henchmen had reacted left a negative impression on her. The incident in the field was somewhat positive, because he was able to demonstrate the little animal's strength without endangering her-much. Maya knew and appreciated strength. It was the one thing she had in common with the rest of them.

But Maya was a coward. She didn't appreciate threats to her life, and neither did Kyoya.

He made a miscalculation, discounting the Mist girl. To his credit, Chrome had never left much of an impression to him except being Mukuro's pet. She was as harmless as a little kitten. So to say he was surprised to see the eye-patched girl attacking his Maya was an understatement. His fault lied at underestimating her loyalty.

It was an admirable trait, truly.

But that didn't mean he would let the threat to Maya slide.

.

 **No one had the right to threaten her.**

 **No one.**

.

Mukuro and Chrome had a unique bond. It was not rare for the possessor and the possessed to share senses, but Mukuro and Chrome took it to another level. By all rights they were one person. Their thought processes, feelings and emotions were at most times identical.

But this did not mean they weren't also their own persons. Mukuro had goals and ambitions that did not align with Chrome, and they had a measure of independence from each other. They were like twins-and not just because of their hair. They were fundamentally identical, but also fundamentally separate.

Mukuro made sure to know Chrome's whereabouts and condition all the time. It wouldn't do to have his best vessel damaged. He knew what she did at all times, who she talked to, how she felt. Chrome could do this as well, but she had more moral integrity than Mukuro. So, Mukuro knew exactly when she met the Hibari girl. She acted thoughtlessly, and that was a mistake she would have to pay dearly for.

Mukuro could have stopped her, of course, enlightened her about the strange girl who had captured the skylark so absolutely he didn't think even the monster of a prefect was aware of it...

But then, where's the fun in that?

.

As Tsuna walked to the classroom, he felt a familiar shiver of coldness up his arms. Mukuro. His eyes narrowed, taking a tinge of gold without his notice. What was his Mist doing here? Namimori was Kyoya's territory, and though the tow of them stopped randomly trying to kill each other every other day, the two had never really got along. And the school was strictly off limits to the ex-convict.

Tsuna sped up his pace, just short of running, and Gokudera and Yamamoto followed suit. Surprisingly, they didn't pester Tsuna with questions, for which Tsuna was grateful for. There was a time for that.

Right now was not.

Mukuro would only be at school-an institution he despised-for two reasons: One, he was bored and wanted to waste time riling up Kyoya and two, Chrome was in danger.

Both scenarios were very likely, and had happened often enough that Tsuna was used to it.

But his intuition was telling him that something was off this time.

And his intuition was never wrong.

.

Maya rubbed her eyes. She could have sworn the girl was...a girl, just seconds ago. But now in place of the pineapple haired girl, there was a tall, handsome man with a similar hairstyle. Was she hallucinating? Wait, their clothes weren't even the same! And the change in body structure was just ridiculous.

"What's going on?" she screeched. The man looked awfully familiar, and he gave off the same awful aura as...

Maya gasped. He was one of Kyoya-sama's...friends...

Kyoya moved so fast she couldn't follow him. The next thing she knew he was locked in a fight with the purple-haired boy with hetero-chromatic eyes. "Eh?" she muttered numbly.

For the first time in her life, Maya uttered a curse as she gaped at the scene in front of her. "What the hell is going on?"

.

 _Friends? That depends on how you define friends, Oujo._

 _._

When Tsuna and his 'friends' arrived, Kyoya and Mukuro had already destroyed one room and was well on their way to destroying another. They saw Chrome to the side, weaving illusions to evacuate the students and teachers. Maya was frozen somewhere in the chaos, unable to move.

She felt completely useless. It was an emotion she was well-acquainted with, but she didn't think she would ever get used to it. She was in an unfamiliar situation. She didn't know what to do. She watched Kyoya. There was a certain freedom in his movements, one that she had seen in almost everyone of the spar partners Kushima made her fight. It was something only the really strong was able to achieve, Kushima had told her. They were free because they cared little for the consequences of their actions, because they knew they were strong.

Maya's chest ached. It was the kind of thing she wasted her entire life trying to achieve but never could. She allowed the bitterness of envy settle over her. She envied Tsuna, for his strange but wonderful relationship with Kyoya. She envied the girl she just met for being strong enough to protect herself and those around her. She envied Kusakabe for being reliable. She envied this new man for being strong enough to be on the same stage as Kyoya.

She wanted that. She wanted everything. She wanted them all.


	9. Chapter 8

And this is where the plot starts moving.

Probably.

* * *

 **Chapter Eight**

 **Melancholy**

It's hot. Maya's body was burning. She was surrounded by fire. She raised her hands only to see it engulfed in flickering orange and blue fire.

What was happening? She felt...curiously calm. Like the whole world stood still, and there was nothing she couldn't do. Like maybe she could fly, soar for once.

Though, she really would rather that it rained.

.

 _Make it rain. Make it rain. Make it rain._

 _Make the clouds fall and wash away the mist._

.

"Wha-what is that?" stammered Tsuna. Mukuro and Hibari ceased fighting abruptly, turning to see Maya in flames. It was reminiscent of Tsuna's flames, but instead of being a soft, amber color, Maya's was a deep blue surrounded by a halo of gold.

Could she be like Basil? wondered Tsuna. But no. That wasn't it either.

This was...

.

"Oya, oya. As I thought," Mukuro said, interest in his voice. "Your little pet is truly something else, Skylark." He flashed a grin at the dirty look Kyoya sent him. "Mind if I play with her a little?"

"Go to hell, !#^$%$#&$."

(Let it not be said that Hibari Kyoya did not cuss.)

.

"What in the hell is that?" snapped Gokudera, leaning on a wall beside Yamamoto. The baseball idiot did not answer, too immersed in watching the burning girl.

The flames danced around her, hot but not scalding. There was something about it that called to him, a sense of calmness...and loneliness. He wanted...

"Oi, Yakyuu-baka, what's gotten into you?"

Yamamoto didn't reply. He couldn't.

.

"Hmm." Reborn watched the entire scene unfold through the lenses of Leon in binocular form. Maya possessing dual Dying Will Flames were an unexpected but welcome surprise. The girl had a lot of issues, but she had a strong heart. "She will make a great addition to the family." Add in Kyoya's apparent devotion to her, and she was one hell of an asset.

The hitman smirked. Things were getting lively.

.

 _"Are you sad, Maya?" Kushima asked the girl of twelve years. The girl was quiet. She had always been less vocal than most of the kids, but usually on this day she was more...enthusiastic. She would be visiting her beloved Kyoya-sama, after all._

 _The girl shook her head. "I'm not sad."_

 _"Hmm? Then why do you look like you're about to cry?"_

 _"I just...it's been a year since I last saw Kyoya-sama, and I'm sure he's been doing amazing things in all that time. He must be really strong now, and yet, I-I haven't changed at all."_

 _Kushima smiled kindly. "Of course you have. I'm sure Kyoya would think so as well."_

 _Maya looked up in surprise. "Are you being nice, Lady Kushima?"_

 _Kushima's smile tensed. "And look at you being all smart-ass. Let's go, it's not good to keep a Hibari waiting."_

 _Maya smiled softly. "Thank you, my lady."_

 _._

Kyoya's muscles felt like lead. He tried to move his hand but was unable to, tried to take a step but couldn't. There was something keeping him immobile, but what it was he couldn't see. A new technique from Mukuro? This did not feel like one of Mukuro's attacks though.

 _This is bad._ He was vulnerable like this. And Maya...

He tried calling out to her. "Ma..." His throat was clogged. "Ma...ya." He tried again. "Maya." He said her name over and over, feeling his mind shut down. Where are you, Maya?

.

 _"Kyoya," his father called. The boy stopped pounding on a poor person whose face was currently unrecognizable and faced his father. His father barely glanced at the person his son beat up and gestured for the boy to follow him._

 _They walked for a while. They arrived at the garden where his mother was teaching Maya how to distinguish poisonous plants from perfectly safe ones. The little girl had an adorable look of concentration on her face that made Kyoya smile. His father sat on a nearby bench, far enough that they could talk privately, but close enough that they could observe the females unhindered._

 _"Was there something you wanted to say, Father?" asked Kyoya impatiently. For all his prowess, he was still a little boy who had very little patience._

 _His father patted his head fondly, making Kyoya bristle, though he did nothing to shake the hand off._

 _"What do you feel about little Maya, Kyoya?"_

 _The answer was quick. "She's better than all of the other herbivores around here."_

 _His father considered this. "What makes you say that? She hasn't won a single fight since she came here, and she's slow in her studies."_

 _"That doesn't mean she's weak," defended Kyoya. "She's just...different."_

 _"So you like her?"_

 _Kyoya shrugged. "I like her better than you."_

 _._

Tsuna saw Kyoya drop like fallen leaf, closely followed by Mukuro with growing horror. Chrome screamed. "MUKURO-SAMA!" Maya stood a few feet away from them, still engulfed by flames, looking like a lifeless doll. Gokudera and Yamamoto were behind him, wearing identical faces of shock.

It all happened so suddenly. One moment Kyoya and Mukuro were standing right there, the next they were paralyzed. Kyoya had choked. His expression was one Tsuna would never, ever forget even if she lived a thousand years. And then they were...

"What on earth is going on?" he said, going by reflex and swallowing two Dying Will Flames. Gokudera drew ten rocket bombs and Yamamoto unsheathed his Shigure Kintoki. Chrome rushed past them towards Mukuro and they watched as she, too, convulsed and passed out.

Tsuna was panicking in his head, but strove to keep his mind clear. The three of them inched towards the fallen bodies of their friends. Three steps in, Tsuna stopped. "There's something there." He couldn't see it, but he felt its malignant presence lick his hand as he reached forward.

Hot. He recoiled. His eyes narrowed, noticing the raised temperature. Was this because of the flame around Maya?

He clenched his teeth. He really didn't know what it was they were facing, if it was Maya's fault, but he couldn't just stand here while his family was fallen. He needed to do something.

"Let's-"

"Wait, Tsuna," the familiar voice of Reborn said. There was a thump as the baby landed on Tsuna's head. "You can't go in there."

"Why not?" answered Tsuna irritably. "Don't you see Mukuro, Chrome and Kyoya? They're hurt! We need to-"

"I understand you feel concerned, but there's really nothing you can do this time, Tsuna. If you go closer, you'll just drop dead like those three."

"Don't say that!" yelled the brunet vehemently. "They're not dead."

"Maybe." Tsuna growled. "But you still can't come closer."

"What should I do then? I don't even know what's going on! It was supposed to be a normal day, it's my first day in high school! I know our lives aren't exactly normal or safe, but...but..."

Reborn kicked him. "Don't be so melodramatic. It's unseemly for a boss. Anyway, she should be exhausted now, releasing that level of flames her first time. Her body must be sore."

"What? What are you talking about? Who-"

There was a thump as Maya fell on the floor.

The flames were gone.

.

* * *

This came out, er, more tense than I expected. I'm a bit apprehensive about the direction this fic is taking. I have an ending planned, but the details are all spontaneous, so every chapter is as much a surprise to me as you guys.

Haha, hope you like this.


	10. Chapter 9

.

* * *

 _What do people feel when they're dying?_

Some people say, "I don't want to die," and think, _I'll do this and I'll do that...I'll survive._

 **Resolve.**

Some people get angry, feeling like, _I won't let my life end like this._

 **Wrath.**

Some people feel sad, and think, _If I could have...If only I was more...If only..._

 **Melancholy.**

* * *

 **Chapter Nine**

 **This Girl is..**

Maya woke up in an unfamiliar room. Her entire body ached like she just faced off against Chikara. Did she? Was she stupid? That girl was an ogre in human form, she would have been demolished! She groaned. Did she run her mouth off again and angered somebody?

Pain. She was used to it. She was by far the weakest person in the Main House and it was inevitable that would get beat up by herbivore-allergic brutes that were the Hibari.

Tears pricked her eyes. _Useless girl. What did you do this time?_

... _Maya...Ma...ya..._

 _Maya._

"Kyoya...sama?"

Suddenly, there were images in her head. Tridents. Black hair. Red and blue eyes. A man and a girl. Blue flames...

"Kyoya-sama! Ah!" Sitting up abruptly send waves of pain in her abdomen, but she ignored it. It was nothing. She had to...She had to...

"What did I do?"

.

"You lost control of your emotions, that's what you did," Kushima scolded. Sighing when she saw the girl sitting up, obviously in pain, she kneeled down beside her and gently made her lay down.

"Lady Kushima?" the girl said questioningly.

"Really, the both of you...all you do is make me worry."

.

"What are you doing here?" Maya asked tentatively.

"I heard about the fiasco you made." The grin she made was dark and worried. "You have really made a mess of things, little bird."

Maya flinched. "But I-I don't really know what happened. It was-"

"You manifested Dying Will Flames." Maya blinked questioningly. "It's the most protected secret of the Underworld. It's a high-density energy refined from one's life force. In many ways, it is very much like a physical flame, only it is ignited from a person's emotions, most commonly from their 'dying will', thus the name."

Maya wasn't sure what to think. It all sounded pretty, uh, supernatural to her, and while the Hibari are people of tradition, they are also logical and scientific. They didn't even have a religion.

"I know it sounds unbelievable," Kushima continued, noticing her disbelieving expression. "But there's no other way to describe the flames you made, little bird. From what I heard, it seems to be of the Rain element, which was probably why you managed to knock out Kyoya." Kushima beamed proudly. "That was impressive, by the way. Although it does put a damper on my plans for you." The Hibari Matriarch sighed. "Well, there's no helping it."

"Um.."

"Maya," Kushima interrupted, turning serious. "By now, this information has no doubt reached everyone in the Underworld: a Hibari girl that has Dying Will Flames. That by itself is nothing new, many of us are able to release Dying Will Flames in varying degrees, but what will no doubt capture their attention is the other fact."

Maya gulped. "I..I though I was no longer Hibari." She didn't really understand this Dying Will business, but if having it means she can go back to being in the Family...

Kushima smiled grimly. "I'm afraid that can no longer be possible. As of now, there must be at least ten people out for your neck, and being a Hibari will be your only defense."

Maya paled. "Why-why would people was to k-kill me? I'm just-" _I'm just me._

"The world is always after those who are different, Maya. And you're one of a kind. **You're a sky."**

.

"Ne, Reborn. Are Sky-users really that rare?" wondered Tsuna. He knew many said it was the rarest form of Dying Will Flame, but it didn't really feel like much of a rarity. He had it, Dino had it, Xanxus had it. The former bosses of the Vongola had had it. Byakuran, Yuni, even Naito Longchamp. He knew more Cky-users than he knew users of the other flames individually. Granted, a lot of them were dead.

"Think of the number of times you had a perfect score on Math, Dame-Tsuna," was the cool reply.

Tsuna yelled in surprise. "Eh? THAT rare?"

Reborn sighed and kicked him at the back of the head.

.

"I need to talk to Hibari, is he awake?" Yamamoto asked Kusakabe. The Vice Chairman nodded grimly. "He's up, but he's really in a bad mood. I don't think it's a good idea to be near him right now."

Yamamoto laughed his signature laugh. "I don't mind. I just really have something important to discuss. Will you...?"

Kusakabe studied the boy's face. Yamamoto was often happy-go-lucky, and he took things aside from swordsmanship and baseball in stride. Sometimes, Kusakabe even envied his carefree attitude. But the Yamamoto in front of him was not the oblivious boy he usually was.

"What is it?" he asked, concerned.

"Nothing important, just.." Yamamoto smiled. "Please?"

Kusakabe sighed. He was probably going to regret this, but...

"Go on. Don't die."

Yamamoto chuckled. "I'll try."

.

True to Kusakabe's words, Kyoya was in an extremely bad mood. First he woke up feeling lethargic, his muscles barely holding him upright. Then he found that his mother had apparently 'taken Maya somewhere'. Maya who, last he remembered, was surrounded by flames.

What was that? He knew the little animal had the ability to manifest fire on his forehead sometimes, and during those times he was stronger than his usual self, but he hadn't though much of it. He just assumed it was some trick by that baby tutor of his. Now Maya.

Arguably, the two were not alike. Sawada Tsunayoshi had orange flames. Maya's was blue. Though...was there orange there somewhere?

The vase broke as it slammed against the wall. Kyoya growled under his breath.

"Woah, Kusakabe wasn't kidding," muttered Yamamoto. Kyoya narrowed his eyes at the boy coldly. "What are you doing here, herbivore?"

"Eh? I eat meat, you know." Yamamoto grinned. "I just came to talk."

Kyoya considered this. There was something different about the boy in front of him. His stance was tense, and his laugh was fake.

Fear? No. Yamamoto Takeshi was strong because he was a stupid man who did not understand such things.

"What is it?"

"Well..."

.

Sky? Maya was a sky?

"I'm human though," Maya argued innocently, inspecting her arms.

Kushima was unimpressed. "Don't act dumb, Maya, it's unseemly."

"But...what you're saying...how am I supposed to believe that? I'm just...There must be a logical reason. Dying Will Flames, forgive my bluntness, but it sounds too much like a fairy tale, Lady Kushima."

"Fairy tales are legends, Maya," the woman said softly. "Legends are stories, and every story has a glean of truth in them. Did I not teach you that?"

Maya lowered her head.

"Listen closely, Maya. Everyone possesses a Dying Will Flame, but only a select few can truly use them. It takes years of training, a strong resolve and a ton of luck for the Dying Will Flame to come out. Sometimes it's a blessing. But one thing is fact, the Dying Will Flame is hugely connected to the _dark side of the world_ and now that people is aware that you have it...

You're never going to be able to leave."

.

"What does that mean?"

"It means, you will never be just a normal girl. You're a flame user."

"I've never been a normal girl," whispered Maya. "And I've never wanted to."

"Well, then it's fortunate you don't have to."

.

Maya didn't really understand what the Dying Will Flames do, and what it means, but what she knew was she now possessed something that makes her different. Something that makes her strong.

 _I wonder what Kyoya-sama would think._

She grinned, feeling the happiest she had been for a long, long time.

* * *

This is the first time she had ever manifested her flames, so Maya has never been able to defeat anyone. Though in the canon, basically everyone has Dying Will Flames, it's been stated that not everyone can do that. And being a sky is really rare. People look at rare things and feel either in awe or envious, so it's natural people would seek to harm Maya. Of course, there are other reasons, but we'll explore that later on.

Anyway, what really drives Maya is her desire to be 'special' in a way that doesn't make her the underdog. She has been at the bottom of the food chain her entire life, so she has a lot of angst hidden inside of her.


	11. Chapter 10

Yo. Been a while, huh? *tongue in cheek grin* I've been in a real shitty mood this past few days. Don't worry though, Beelzebub saved me and now I'm back!

(I know, I know. Beelzebub? That's like years and years ago. But it's entertaining okay? And I gave up on eLdlive because it's so annoying.)

Anyway, here comes Chapter Ten.

Go, Decimo!

* * *

 **Chapter Ten**

 **.**

Mukuro ran. Well, more like he vanished without a trace yet again, which Tsuna didn't normally mind. Mukuro was free to do his own thing. He wasn't Tsuna's slave.

But, really. How could he just leave like that after sneaking in and nearly destroying the school again?

"H-how much did t-the r-rep-pairs cost, R-Reborn?" a trembling Tsuna asked.

Reborn pushed the red button.

Boom.

"That's what you get for stuttering. And it was three million, by the way. Kyoya wanted reinforced titanium for the walls."

.

Yamamoto gingerly touched his cheek where Kyoya's tonfa hit him. It was bleeding pretty badly.

"That did not go well," the Rain Guardian said.

A sigh. "Honestly, what did you expect?" Yamamoto turned in surprise. Gokudera was leaning on one of the walls, his cigarette lit up. "What were you thinking? No. You weren't thinking at all, were you? Goodness, you're just as stupid as ever."

Yamamoto laughed lightly. "Well-"

"Save it." Gokudera interrupted. "You've made Tenth worry enough. Let's go."

.

Kusakabe followed Kyoya silently as the prefect marched out of the house.

"Where is she?" Kyoya growled. "WHERE IS SHE?"

Kusakabe cleared his throat. He had forgotten in all the time he was with Hibari, but the prefect could seriously scare the pants out of him when he was in the right mood. "Maya was, um, taken to the Main-"

"Kyoya-sama, are you home?"

"-House." Kusakabe sighed. "Okay, apparently she's back." Under his breath, he said, "That's some great timing, Maya-ojou."

.

Maya stepped in Kyoya's house feeling giddy. She couldn't stop smiling. She was a sky, sky, sky! Whatever that was, she was one of a kind. Special. Just like Kyoya.

"Hmm?" The house seemed more ominous than usual. "Did something happen-?"

Crack. Maya's heart stopped as the tip of a chain crashed through the wall behind her, millimeters from her head. "K-Kyoya-sama?"

"Where were you?" the raven-head said calmly, which belied the brewing fury in his storm grey eyes.

Maya opened her mouth to speak, but was frozen in surprise. She had seen Kyoya angry before-the way he was seeing him _not_ angry was much rarer, but it was not often she could experience his fury directed at her. Mostly, he just acted real cold.

Heat flooded her cheeks. _H-he's so close._ She could practically feel his warm breath on her cheeks. How was she supposed to _think_ with him looming over her like that?

Is this a manga? A shoujo manga?

Kyoya leaned back and sighed. Maya let out a breath in relief, although she was a bit disappointed too-

"Quit acting like a fangirl and answer my question Maya," the prefect said sternly.

"Um, I was-"

"Oh, dear. Will you stop frightening the poor girl, Kyo-kun?"

.

Kushima would have liked to say that she knew her children inside out, but Kushima had never been a liar. Well, not outright.

The truth is, she knew very little about her sons. But, being their mother, it was enough that she knew their most hidden weaknesses.

Kyoya's was Maya.

She never would have bet on it, when he was a young hellion beating up her finest officers, but the boy was truly soft at heart. He was loyal and protective, and actually quite romantic. Given that, she really didn't know why he persisted on keeping adorable Maya at arms length. As Maya would say, _"He blows hot and cold. One moment he's sweet and kind, the next he's trying to stab me."_

She could guess, but she wouldn't really know for certain until Kyoya confirmed it.

Considering the present circumstance, however-

"We do not have time for this."

.

"Mother, what are you doing here?" Kyoya said flatly.

His mother answered in the same flat tone. "I'm here to train Maya."

Kyoya considered this. From what the stupid swordsman told him, Maya had released Rain and Sky Flames that time at school. Something about tranquility and harmony...

 _"Reborn said it's really rare for someone untrained to be able to produce that much Flame."_

The hell was he saying...Maya wasn't untrained.

"Maya knows enough."

Kuyshima closed her eyes and breathed for three seconds. "Times like these, you really remind me of your father when he was young."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"It was not. When your father was young he was at the very bottom of the hierarchy."

"Yet he's at the very top now," Kyoya retorted.

Kushima's expression darkened. "Not everything is as it seems on the surface Kyoya. Your father may be strong, but he's not the strongest. There are plenty that are much stronger than him."

At this, it was Kyoya's turn to frown. "What are you trying to say, Mother? Spit it out."

"What I'm saying is, if you truly cared for Maya, you wouldn't be satisfied for the way she is now."

Kyoya gritted his teeth. "Maya is fine as she is."

"She's weak. You know that as well as I do. But she has potential to _not_ be weak any longer." Identical grey eyes clashed. "I have often wondered what is holding her back. In all the years I've trained with her, she has shown an exceptional amount of mental fortitude and perseverance. Such should have been enough to make her capable of going toe to toe against Chikara."

".."

"And yet...Maya has not progressed beyond the level of a monkey."

The table turned over as Kyoya stood. He glared murderously at his mother, his weapons drawn.

Kushima looked on astonishingly as her son towered over her.

 _What? Kyoya is...Did he...?_

"Say that again. I don't care who you are. I'm not going to let you disrespect my fiance **in my own house."**

"Kyoya...your...Cloud Flames..."

.

Kushima felt an overwhelming emotion she refused to name flood her chest.

Cloud Flames.

Her son. Just, all of a sudden...

"You two...seriously." _Just how much are you obsessed with each other?_

 _._

"Eh? Cloud Flames? What is that?"

"Oooh, I remember. The purple ones! They were the purple ones, weren't they?"

"Now both Maya and Kyoya have been able to manifest their Flames. What are you going to do, Tsuna?"

Tsuna jumped as all eyes turned on him. "Me? What?"

"Yes, Tenth! We can't let both of them outmatch us!"

"Hmm, Maya is pretty interesting. Haha"

"I'm sorry for causing trouble, Boss. I acted without thinking."

"Damn right, you did!"

"It's fine, Chrome! No damage done, right?"

"No damage? Kufufufu. Tell that to the skylark's school. I just know he's going to be extra annoying this month."

"You're partly at fault, Mukuro-sama."

"Kufufu, did you say something, Chrome?"

Chrome sighed. Tsuna grimaced. "That aside, what did you mean, Reborn? Am I supposed to do something?"

The World's Greatest Hitman grinned. "Training, of course."

.

.

.

"Eeeeeeeh?"

.

Maya sat fidgeting. Kusakabe was in a similar agitated state across from her.

"K-kusakabe, w-what do you think happened?" She was pertaining to the earlier loud sound that came from the living room.

"I truly have no idea, Maya-ojou. We can only hope for the best."

"D-do you think K-kyoya-sama hates m-me now? He was r-really mad."

"I'm certain he doesn't feel that way, Ojou. He was just worried about you."

"R-really?"

"Yes. He has been looking for you since he woke up."

"...Does he know?"

"Hmm."

"About-"

"Your Flames? Yes, he has been informed."

Maya looked down. Her feet swayed back and foot over the floor. "What was his reaction?"

Kyoya beat up Yamamoto Takeshi and incurred three hundred thousand yen's worth of damage on the house. Kusakabe didn't think it was prudent to tell the lady that. Instead, he said, "He was..sufficiently proud."

Maya glared. "That's obviously a lie! He must have been mad!"

Kusakabe frowned in confusion. "Why are you so certain he would be mad, Ojou? Dying Will Flames are the mark of the strong in our world. Kyoya-sama prides in strength."

 _Yeah. But he hates it._

Maya ? What was that just now? Kyoya hates strength? How ridiculous. Maya laughed sheepishly. "You're right."

But why did she feel like she was missing something?

 _._

 _I adore you._

Kyoya had only ever told her these words. I adore you. Now that she thought of it, what did those words even mean to him?

Love? Affection? Loyalty?

What?

And if Kyoya really revered strength, then why did he put up with Maya all these years?

Maya who was never able to complete the intermediate obstacle courses. Maya who was average in smarts. Maya who couldn't lift more than thirty kilos. Maya who was eternally Green belt.

Maya who was not strong.

She was a crybaby. She hid behind Kyoya when she was bullied. She depended on Lady Kushima to protect her. She, who got beat up by Chikara.

Maya was weak.

But Kyoya adored her.

What...

.

"Stop. You're over-thinking things," Kusakabe scolded gently. She pried Maya's fists open, noticing the small cuts from her nails. "Kyo-san is not easy to understand. He's strong and he's arrogant and he can be violent sometimes, but he's honorable and loyal. That said, he doesn't treat anyone the way he treats you, Ojou-san. I'm sure whatever it is he really feels for you, it is something that is yours and yours alone."

.

* * *

"He always says he adores me, and he likes to tap my head," Maya offered. "Does he do that to you?"

"Um, no." _What are you, his pet?_ Head tap...Kyoya nd Kusakabe. That is disturbing.

"Would you like some tea, Ojou-san?"

"Hai!"


	12. Chapter 11

Somehow, this progressed waaaaaay faster than I thought it would. But, meh. The update is here! Sorry for the wait. Enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter Eleven**

 **Complexities**

 **"So I...have to go to school?"** Maya mumbled. "I thought we've established that school is just not the place for me."

Kyoya regarded her with a blank face. "What are you saying? You're officially registered as a student of Namimori High School. Don't think I will go easy on you just because you're my fiancee."

Maya blushed. "You say _that_ with such a straight face..."

"What? Fiancee?"

At this point, Maya felt like steam was coming out of her ears. "Kyoya-sama! You're just teasing me."

Kyoya's mouth tilted a fraction. His eyes, which were often a cold steel blue that sent fear down many a person's spine, softened uncharacteristically. No one brought out his childish side except Maya. He reached out and pulled Maya's pouting lips into a smile. "Don't pout. School is nothing to worry about. I won't let anyone hurt you in any way."

Maya's heart soared, but she was aware that no matter how strong Kyoya may be, and no matter how much he wanted to shield her, even Kyoya also made mistakes. It happened before, it could happen again.

 _Besides, you didn't protect me when you left me alone in the Main House..._

 _._

"Hmm, it's been a week. Do you think Maya-chan will be back?"

Tsuna looked at Yamamoto curiously. "I noticed, Takeshi, that you're very interested in Maya. Why is that?"

"Eh?" Yamamoto turned away for a second before looking Tsuna in the eye. His eyes were clear and bright and...what? Tsuna couldn't describe it. "I guess I just feel like we're similar. We're both rain types, aren't we?" He fingered his Vongola Ring. "Don't you just feel like...she could be a good friend?"

"Reborn said she's also a sky," said Tsuna. He didn't really understand it though. Maya seemed more like trouble than anything else.

"Oh, right. She's also like you, then."

"I...don't really think so. But-"

"That's right, no one is like the Tenth, you stupid Baseball Idiot!"

And as his two best friends argued on the way to school, Tsuna kept on thinking about her. The first time they met, she threatened to kill him. The second time, she nearly killed his friends.

"Definitely trouble."

.

"You seem happy."

Tsuna noticed the subtle difference in Kyoya's facial expression. While his face tended to be carefully blank or bored, there was always a barely discernible tension around his mouth and eyes. Today, the tension wasn't there. Tsuna was glad, but he was also curious.

When Kyoya spoke, his tone had none of the usual tinge of irritation. Another difference. What could be the cause of it.

"That happiness diminishes the longer you stand there. What is it that you need, Sawada Tsunayoshi?"

"Come on, I told you to call me Tsuna. Hearing my full name said like that makes me nervous." He finally sat down. Kyoya was behind his desk and Tsuna was on the seat in front of him. It was weird, like he was talking to a teacher. He sighed. "Anyway, I just came to check on you. Your life has been awfully eventful nowadays."

"And class?" Kyoya expertly averted the subtle probe. Tsuna grinned. "Well, our homeroom teacher is sick so I have a bit of free time."

"Hn."

Kyoya's mastery of noncommittal responses were astonishing. Tsuna ran a hand through his hair. "Well, I should really just come out and say it..."

"..."

"Okay, you see, Takeshi was asking about your, um, Maya earlier, and I was just wondering..."

"Spit it out, small animal."

Tsuna laughed nervously. "Well, what happened to her? I thought she was going to study here, and, well, it's been a week...or so."

"She will be here tomorrow."

"Oh." Tsuna blinked. "Well, that's-that's great. So, um, will she be bringing any weapon I should, er, know about?"

"She won't be attacking anyone."

Tsuna wasn't convinced. "That doesn't answer my question. And, well, are you absolutely sure she wouldn't go all fire-y like last time?"

Kyoya stood. "I do not answer to you. And I have tolerated your presence long enough. You may go."

"Huh? Uh, eh, Kyoya-"Swish."Okay, fine, fine, I'm leaving! No need to get punchy!"

Tsuna was at the door when Kyoya called him back. "Sawada Tsunayoshi."

Tsuna turned and froze. His intuition was screaming something at him, but he couldn't figure it out. There was something...raw, about the way Kyoya was looking at him, almost like he was...vulnerable. His logical mind couldn't accept it. Kyoya, vulnerable? But...

Tsuna straightened. "What is it, Kyoya?" _I'm here, you're part of my family. Whatever you need to say, I'm willing to listen._

"Tsunayoshi, what do you feel about me?"

Tsuna's jaw dropped. "Eh?" He flushed and fidgeted. "What does that-"

"Tsunayoshi." Kyoya's tone made Tsuna turn serious once more. This wasn't some game. Kyoya wasn't Mukuro, he wasn't teasing Tsuna. He was genuinely asking, and he wanted to hear the answer. The answer mattered to him.

Tsuna sighed. "You've caught me off-guard, just asking all of a sudden. But anyway, the answer is the same as it's always been." Their eyes met, brown on gray. A sky to his cloud. "You're my family."

Tsuna felt the tension in the room die down somewhat and smiled. "But, what brought this on?"

Kyoya's face softened, at least, as soft as Kyoya's sharp angles could get. "I appreciate it."

"You do?" Tsuna grinned. "I wish I recorded that."

Kyoya ignored him. "But I have a favor to ask."

"Sure!" Tsuna said excitedly. He was like a puppy that was finally being noticed by his master. He didn't even think about the implications of receiving a request from Hibari Kyoya. The moment he heard him say favor, he knew he wouldn't be able to say no. He was simply that kind of person.

"Please..."

.

 _Maya was nine when Kyoya asked her_ the _question._

 _"Do you love me?"_

 _Maya didn't understand the concept of love yet, not completely. But from what she could tell from Lady Kushina's lectures, and the gossip from the other kids, love was something a person feels for another, and people in love are always together. She wanted to always be together with Kyoya, even though he was brash at times, and often cold. Kyoya never let Maya feel lonely._

 _So she smiled and said. "Hai! I love Kyoya the best!"_

 _._

 _When Kyoya left to roam, he didn't bring Maya with him, no matter how hard she begged and cried. Watching the car he was riding in go farther and farther was like waking up from a long, long dream. And what a beautiful dream it was. As such, the moment she was back in reality, it hurt all that much._

 _Kyoya left her._

 _And still she longed for the day he would come back._

 _._

It was night. Maya stood outside of Kyoya's room. She didn't knock. She didn't call out for Kyoya to let her in. But, oh, how she wanted to. She was desperate to be with him. She wanted to always be by his side. He didn't even have to talk to her, or touch her, or do anything at all. She only want to watch him, and feel his presence.

She wondered if it was the stillness of the night that was making her feel this way. Maybe it was because she would be venturing into a new world tomorrow. She was, maybe, nervous. She didn't know how to interact with people her age. She could barely interact with Kyoya, as it was. There was a heavy feeling inside of her. She wanted...

The door slid open and out came her dark prince.

She watched the shadows dance on his marble-like face.

He was so damn beautiful.

"I..." She started to speak, but the way he looked at her, it was like he was saying, _There's no need to say anything. I understand._

Kyoya opened the door wider.

"Come on in...Maya."

.

"I-I don't know what I'm doing here. I should get back to my room."

"Are you going shy on me?"

"I just..."

"Maya, just lay back down." He smiled slyly. "Don't worry, I won't do anything ungentlemanly."

"..."

Maya was stiff in his arms for a while before she finally relaxed. Her face was pressed against his chest, and she could smell his soap and feel his heartbeat. It was loud, and fast. She smiled. "I missed you, Kyoya-sama."

"Hn."

.

While the two were fast asleep in each other's arms, Kusakabe was up all night with several of Kyoya's personal guards.

"Sir, we've disposed of the last one," reported one of the men, saluting him with bloodied hands. Kusakabe winced. "That's good. Get the clean up crew and take care of those wounds, Mutobe."

The delinquent soldier nodded stiffly and proceeded to do as ordered.

Kusakabe slumped to one of the walls. There was a thump as a figure landed smoothly beside him. "Rough night?"

Kusakabe flinched, startled. "It's not nice to just jump out like that, Mukuro-san."

The man just smiled serenely. "Hmm. It seems more and more are coming for the little princess. How much was the bounty up to?"

Kusakabe sighed exasperatedly. "Ten million."

"Yen?"

"Dollars."

Mukuro smiled appreciatively. "That's impressive. Which family was it this time?"

"Castelli or something."

"Kufufu. It seems you have a tough problem in your hands. Do you need help?"

"Are you offering out of the goodness of your heart?"

"Kufu. Nope."

Kusakabe shook his head. "It's getting worse. I really have no idea why they're so interested on Maya-ojou. It seems even some of Vongola's enemies are in the hunt."

"Kill or capture?"

"Capture."

"Ho. Isn't that interesting." Dark smoke surrounded Mukuro. "Tell Kyoya I'll lend him a hand if he needs it...I only need some information."

"I've told you more than enough."

"Kufufu. Just relay my message, will you?"

When Kusakabe blinked next, he was gone. "Show-off bastard." He shook his head. "But seriously, what the hell is going on?"

.

"Ten million dollars? What kind of joke is that?" a person wearing a rabbit mask exclaimed. Beside her, a man wearing a wolf mask stiffened.

The person in front of them who relayed the information they were so outraged about sighed. "This is not a joke, Aunt. I heard it directly from the patriarch. It seems more than ten families are currently out for her head."

"Who was it that gave such a ridiculous bounty?"

A shrug. "That, we don't know. They are pretty hard to track. Must be powerful."

Rabbit-mask slumped. "Oh, my goodness. My poor baby. Why is this happening?"

"Yeah, well, they let her out of the compound without telling her anything. I told Kushina that would only cause problems. Even the boy-prince agreed with me. But you know how that woman is when she's set her mind on something."

"And she's not capable of controlling her flames?" asked the wolf-mask. There was a chill to his tone that made the other two freeze.

"Uh, well...from what I can tell, she doesn't seem to be learning very well. She's still in the basics."

Rabbit-mask gasped. "What on earth is Kushina thinking?"

"Well..."

Wolf-mask stood. "Let us go, Marianne."

"What? Jiro-san..."

"Our daughter needs us. The little skylark can't protect her on his own."

"But..." Marrianne's voice trembled. "Okay. Let's go back to Namimori."


	13. Chapter 12

I actually still have exams, but Maya just won't shut up in my head so I figured I'll just let her out. About her parents...I don't really know what they were doing getting back in this story. It just happened okay? I'm totally winging this. No plans, no outlines... The chapters come out when I seat in front of the computer, type for about an hour then post. Bam. Just like that.

* * *

 **Chapter Twelve**

 **Oh, so you're a Hibari...Huh?**

"Kyoya said Maya will be at school tomorrow," casually said Tsuna.

His friends' reaction to the news was...well, varied and if he was honest, kind of hilarious.

Yamamoto laughed and said, "That's great."

Naturally, Gokudera was outraged. When wasn't he, really?

Mukuro was rather creepy. He just chuckled his signature 'kufufu' and sipped his drink as though he was completely expecting it. Maybe he was.

Chrome was quiet, but Tsuna noticed she was somehow pale. Tsuna asked if she was fine, and she said, "yes, yes, she was." It was just that she was very nervous. He asked why, and she glared at him with her single eye. Tsuna gulped and turned to Lambo instead, who was asking for a candy. He handed him one from his pocket, and slipped another to I pin behind him. The shy girl smiled and bowed.

Just then, a yell was heard from none other than Ryohei.

"WHO IS MAYA TO THE EXTREME?!"

Tsuna laughed.

"She's Kyoya's fiancee," answered Mukuro. "Kufufu."

"Thats's great!" said Ryohei. Then he added, "What's a fiancee?"

Tsuna thought Yamamoto would die laughing.

Really, he loved his family.

.

This time, Maya was able to get to the classroom without incident. No fights broke out in the schoolyard, and no creepy eyepatches attacked her in the hallways. In fact, she didn't meet anyone at all. Bliss.

Kusakabe escorted her just to be safe and left her outside of the classroom. It was closed, and the inside was quiet. She knocked tentatively.

The teacher was a balding old man with round glasses. He said he was Okuda-sensei. Maya couldn't care less. She doubted very much he could teach her anything substantial. She bowed politely still, as Kusakabe told her teachers are to be respected no matter how bad they smelled. Even Kyoya apparently gave them respects to some degree.

"We have a new student with us today. She was registered along with the rest of you, but due to health reasons, she was unable to come in until today. Please treat her kindly." He motioned for her to join him in front of the students. "Hibari-san, please introduce yourself."

"My name is Hibari Maya, nice to meet you."

.

"Huh? Did she say Hibari?"

"Hibari, like Hibari-Hibari?"

"I don't know."

"Is she-"

"Do you think-"

"Wow, she's really pretty."

"Don't you think she sort of reminds you of someone?"

"Hmm. Waah. I love her hair. So straight and long."

"Those hairclips are so cute."

"Someone saw her with Kusakabe-san just now. Do you think-"

"Maybe she's-"

"Hibari, huh? Scary."

"But she looks like an angel!"

"Hibari Kyoya is pretty too."

"Eh, now that you mention it, they do seem alike, don't they?"

"That aura..."

"Hibari Maya."

.

"Don't you think it would be better if she used a different surname, Kyo-san? Right now she's probably-"

"She's a Hibari."

Kusakabe sighed. "Yes, but people will-"

"I don't give a shit what people think."

"...yeah, you definitely don't," Kusakabe mumbled. By the way Kyoya glared at him the whispered sarcasm didn't escape his hearing at all. Kusakabe decided it was time to change the topic. "By the way, Kyo-san, it seems Marianne-san and Jiro-san are planning to come back to Namimori."

Crash. Kusakabe looked sadly at the broken pieces of the vase on the floor. "They're not welcome here."

"I thought you would say that, but, Kyo-san," Kusakabe paused. Kyoya narrowed his gaze at him. "Our people won't be enough to stop them if they truly want to see her, you know."

Kyoya's grin was savage. "No, I don't know that. I do not want them anywhere within three miles of her. Make it happen." And then he was gone, jumping out of the fourth floor window with a swish of his gakuran.

Kusakabe scratched his pompadour. "Here he goes with the ridiculous orders again. How am I supposed to stop those monsters..."

.

The moment Jiro and Marianne Hibari's car reached the Namimori limits, they knew getting near their daughter would be a fight. "We're surrounded," commented Marianne, her eyes cold and assessing.

Jiro leaned on his seat casually. He counted their opponents. "Twenty. Man, that little prince doesn't hold back at all. He must hate us very much."

"Yeah, well, he practically raised Maya." Marianne understood and acknowledged facts even if she didn't like them.

"Hmm, I wonder about that."

Marianne glared at her husband. He always loved confusing her with his cryptic remarks. "Just shut up and take care of them, will you? I'm hungry."

Jiro smiled serenely. "Just run them over."

Marianne rolled her eyes. "And they say I'm the cold-blooded one. They're kids."

"They're delinquents. Kyoya should choose better subordinates."

"What is up with you today? You're annoying." Marianne huffed, but she was moving out of the car.

"Running them over is easier. The car is bulletproof anyway."

"The cleaning and paint job would be costly."

"Hmm. Whatever you say."

.

"Hibari-san, are you perhaps, related to Hibari Kyoya?"

Maya was expecting the question, though she still hadn't decided how to answer. Certainly she was related to him. They were from the same family. Their great-great-grandparents were the same. They were cousins. They were also engaged. And they used to live in the same house.

She decided to go with the truth. "I'm his fiancee."

"Okay...wait, what?"

She didn't know why that was so surprising. They had been engaged for years now after-all.

"We're engaged," she clarified, thinking maybe they didn't know what fiancee meant.

There was an absolute silence before they all started yelling in shock.

Maya thought they were very loud. Were high school students always this...energetic?

Well, whatever. They didn't matter.

.


	14. Chapter 13

Any of you guys know Please Save my Earth? It's an awesome manga. Seriously. Real old school art style, but the story is great!

It's flashback time!

* * *

 **Chapter Thirteen**

 **Tradition**

The Hibari has always been a unique family. Unlike normal families, they don't foster goodness and togetherness or any of those good stuff. They don't teach their children loyalty and affection. And they only value one thing: strength.

It's not completely known when the tradition of sending their children in one place to learn and compete started, but the custom has been going on for generations. If the Hibari had any trademark aside from their great military and political strength, it is this custom. Children of five years are sent to the Main House where they are taught to harness their incredible genetic traits and stand above other peers. Some mothers try to escape the rule once in a while. They hide and go far, far away in hopes that they will not be separated from their children.

But no one runs from the Hibari, especially not the Hibari.

 _This is our family. This is who we are._

 _._

Maya, age five

"Mama, are you going somewhere?"

Marianne stopped putting clothes in the suitcase and turned to see her daughter standing by the door. She was as adorable as always. Her black hair was tied to twin ponytails above her head with ribbons her father gifted her on her most recent birthday. She looked at Marianne with wide, curious eyes.

Marianne'e eyes brimmed with tears, and it was all she could do to keep them in. As it was a lone drop fell, followed by another, and another, and soon her sadness and frustration was pouring forth like flood on her cheeks. She turned her face away and tried to shape her expression in a semblance of cheer for her daughter.

"Well, Maya-chan, how would you like to go on a trip?"

"Trip?" Maya ran excitedly towards her mother. "Where? Where? Can we go to Disneyland? I wanna see Tinkerbell, please?"

Marianne smiled sadly and cupped the little girl's plump cheeks. "Okay, we'll go there."

"Will Papa come too?"

Marianne's heart stuttered. Her poor husband. He never signed up for this. Marianne was born a Hibari, she knew what to expect, but Jiro...Jiro loved Maya very much. She remembered his face when she told her about the family's tradition. She had never seen him so angry. And sad. It broke her heart to do this to her husband and daughter. But...

"Papa...Papa will come. Mama, Papa and Maya, all three of us will be going to Disneyland to see Tinkerbell."

 _But after that..._

.

"This is for your own good. You will stay here and be strong, and one day we will see each other again. Until then...be brave, little bird."

.

But, Mama, I'm not brave.

.

Maya, age seven

"Kyoya is so mean!" Maya complained, pouting. Her face was flush and red from her training, and her arms felt like they would fall off any moment. "I'm so tired! I want to sleep!"

Kyoya gritted his teeth. Times like this was when he truly disliked Maya. She didn't train enough, and she complained too much. Kyoya thought when they first met that she would be one of those really determined protagonists from mangas that never gave up, instead, she turned out to be a procrastinator and a whiner. And she didn't even realize it. She was always so dramatic, acting like the whole world was against her, when in truth the teachers and Kyoya had been exceedingly lenient towards her from day one.

Maybe that was the problem? Maybe Kyoya was too indulgent.

"Stop complaining and start running. Chikara is months younger than you but she never pouted at every little thing."

"Chikara is a monster."

Kyoya bared his teeth. "Chikara is strong."

Maya crossed her arms. "I don't care."

Kyoya could have yelled. He didn't know why he bothered, really. Maya was just spoiled. Her parents, though they showed ample disappointment at her totally average physical skills, were completely devoted to her. He didn't understand it, and at first it was adorable, but as time went...

"You're so annoying."

Silence. Kyoya winced. That was a mistake. Now she was going to...

"Kyo-kyoya...Does Kyoya hate me now?" Maya bawled. Big, fat tears were pouring down her tears like rain.

Kyoya sighed. Now she was crying.

And Kyoya was going to coddle her again.

He really didn't know what it was about her.

"Now, now. I don't hate you, but I hate it when you complain. You said you want to be strong, right? Well, you won't be strong without working for it. Everyone here has worked really hard to be strong."

"Even Chikara?"

Kyoya nodded and pulled her close. He wouldn't admit it, but he liked hugs. "Even Chikara."

Maya snuggled closer to his chest. "Even Kyoya?"

"Even Kyoya- _sama._ "

Maya pulled back. "But, you still like me better than Chikara, right? You're not going to leave me for her?"

"As stupid as it is, I still love you more than anyone else."

 _I wonder how that happened?_

 _._

Maya, age nine

"Kyoya-sama, what is a school?"

"It's a place where idiots who can't learn on their own flock together, Maya. Why?"

"Well, I read this book and, well, it seemed like fun."

"People in school are sheep, Maya. You don't want to be like them."

"...Okay."

.

Kyoya, age ten

"Kyoya, why do you like Maya so much when you're so awful at everyone else? As your brother, I feel really hurt, you know." Taka said, wiping the blood from his nose where Kyoya punched him. The little bugger certainly packed a lot of strength into it. As his onii-chan, Taka should be proud but, as the person that was on the other end of his fist it was hard to feel warmhearted.

Kyoya sneered. "You're annoying."

"Maya is more annoying. Even though she is cute."

"Yeeah, well, you are not cute at all."

"Are you discriminating by gender?"

"I'm discriminating by mental maturity."

"That hurts!" Taka pouted. "I'm twelve, and I'll be leaving soon. Won't you even miss me?"

"No."

"Aw, Kyoya, don't be shy-no, wait, not the tonfa, and hey, that's my shooting arm, stopstopstop!"

When Kyoya finally let him go, Taka felt like his arm was going to fall off. He sighed. He could have defended himself better, but he really didn't like hurting his brother. Kyoya was always such a cutie. It went against everything in him to harm him, even though Kyoya himself didn't hold back at all, the little monster. "You know, Kyoya, you're still young. You shouldn't commit yourself to someone at your age. When you get out of here, you're going to meet plenty of pretty girls that are-"

"Shut up," Kyoya's voice was cold and sharp. "Shut up right now."

Taka met Kyoya's gaze and sighed once more. "What is so special about her?"

"It's none of your business. Go die."

.

Kyoya, age twelve

"I want her with me." Kyoya was practically stomping his feet.

It was rare to find Kyoya acting like any normal child. He had never thrown a tantrum or pouted for something before. If he wanted something, he did something to get it. His tonfas certainly helped a lot. But his skills in martial arts wouldn't help him against his father, and so he reverted to being a brat.

Kushina sighed. She expected this reaction with the level of attachment those two had for each other, but she thought Kyoya would be able to see reason at the least. "Maya is only ten, and what more she's behind on her training with all the cavorting you too keep doing. She won't improve at this rate."

"I can teach her," Kyoya insisted.

"We've already established that you are not sensei-material Kyoya. Especially not to Maya."

Kyoya stomped his feet. "I will learn."

"Then learn first. And while you're at it, try learning not to be too soft on her. You always fall for the puppy eyes, Kyoya, you're such a softie."

Kyoya grumbled unintelligibly.

Kushina's husband lost patience. "Kyoya, quit your grumbling and go pack. Maya is staying here and that's final."

Kyoya was practically trembling with rage.

Kushina's face softened. "Kyoya, I know you care about Maya very much, but out there, you can't protect her. This is for your own good, and Maya's too. The two of you have a bond that I can't describe, but the reality is, you can't always defend her. She needs to learn to protect herself."

"Maya is strong."

"We know, darling. But she's not strong enough. This has gone on long enough. Maya knows you want to protect her so she doesn't try to be strong, just to please you. But as strong as you are, there will always be someone stronger-"

"I'll just be the strongest then."

Kushina smiled gently. "Hn. But that won't happen in an instant Kyoya. You still have a long way to go."

"Go along now," his father said. "Come back and get her when you're the strongest."

.

I'm not the strongest yet. But I promise I won't let anyone hurt you.

.


	15. Chapter 14

I like portraying Maya as childish for some reason. Haha

I think it's an intrinsic ability of Rains to be sort of obsessive. Yamamoto is obsessed with his sport, Squalo with his sword...and partly to Xanxus. Maya is obsessed with Kyoya. I think it's because to be able to fall down, rain has to be focused in one specific area. Or something like that. The idea just came to me. What do you think?

* * *

 **Chapter 14**

 **Obsession**

"You seem pretty preoccupied, Yamamoto. Do you want to take a break for a while?" The baseball club captain tapped Yamamoto's shoulder.

Surprised, Yamamoto blinked as though he was just waking up. "Huh? Senpai?"

Yahichiro was a third year and has been the captain of the baseball club since he was a second year. He was talented and hardworking, but everyone knew there were others that played baseball better than him. But he was made the captain because he was perceptive and good with people. Yamamoto has been a part of the club since the summer, everyone acknowledged his prodigal strikes, but no one could say anything bad about him because he always practiced diligently. Yamamoto was a very reliable player.

Recently though, he was pretty distracted. He missed more balls than he ever had, and he always had this faraway look, like he was thinking of something else. The members all noticed, and Yahichiro was worried. There were rumours that Yamamoto had a suicide attempt in middle school, so practically everyone tried to be careful with him.

"Do you need to skip practice, today? You're out of sorts."

Yamamoto laughed, but it sounded hollow to Yahichiro. He frowned. "No, no, senpai. I'm fine, really."

"Are you now?" Yahichiro said blankly. "You've missed thirteen balls today, and the one you did hit went directly to Kinoshita's face. You didn't even apologize. You look like you seriously want to leave. And you laughed way too much, even when I told you that my father is dead."

Yamamoto's eyes went wide as saucers. "Eh? Seriously?" Flustered, he bowed ninety degrees. "Sumimasen! I don't know what's wrong with me. Sumimasen!"

Yahichiro sighed. "Don't worry about it. Are you having problems? You know we're here if you ever need anything."

Yamamoto's back tensed. He stood stiffly and smiled the same hollow smile he's been doing since the start of school. "I'm fine, but i think I'll head home now, senpai. I'll bring sushi as an apology tomorrow." Then he was off.

Yahichiro followed his retreating back with a frown.

.

Yamamoto run all the way to the locker rooms. It was deserted since almost everyone was gone, and most clubs haven't finished practicing yet. He felt funny. He had never once skipped practice before. Even when he did, back during the ring battles, he was still doing something else.

"Maybe I should practice Shigure Soen Ryu once in a while. I must be getting rusty neglecting my sword like this." Squalo's voice pushed itself in his head, _Damn right! You shouldn't get complacent just because you defeated me once, idiot!_

"Maa..." he grinned. "I wonder how Maya-chan's first day went." She wasn't in his class anymore. It was very likely Kyoya moved her to another class. "I hope she's fine."

.

Maya was tired. School went on for hours, and after that she had to meet with Lady Kushina for training. She sighed. She hardly saw Kyoya the entire day.

"Tadaima," she called, taking off her shoes.

"Oh, welcome back, Ojou-san. How was your day?" Kusakabe answered cheerfully.

Maya's cheek twitch. Being greeted by an old man like that was just...

"Ojou-san, I'm only eighteen."

Maya turned cheek and marched to her room.

"Maya-ojou is as cold as ever."

The door slid open. "Tadaima," called Kyoya.

"Kyo-san, okaeri."

Kyoya froze near the doorway. "Don't greet me like that again, Kusakabe. It's creepy."

"Eh?"

.

"Where's Maya?"

"In her room."

"Hn. Did the servants come to clean?"

"Yes, they went just now."

"..." Kyoya took off his shoes, but kept his gakuran on. "Report?"

"Only three assailants today. However, it seems Marianne and Jiro-san were able to get past our guards."

"Tch. Where are they now?"

"In the hotel near the market district. I put round the clock surveillance on them, although they don't seem like they're planning on approaching her carelessly."

"Make sure they don't get anywhere near her."

"...Yes."

.

"How was your first day?" Kyoya said at dinner later.

Maya played with her food. "I..." She blew air up her bangs and watched them slowly line up on her forehead. "Do you think I should grow my bangs, Kyoya-sama?"

"Your hair is fine, but if you want to go ahead. Just don't cut it." Kyoya chewed on a mouthful of steak and sent her an assessing look. "Now stop changing the subject and tell me how your day went."

"I'm tired."

"You can sleep later."

"I want to sleep now."

"Don't be childish Maya."

"Hmp."

"Didn't you like it?"

"I was surrounded by sheep, what's there to like?"

"How did they treat you?"

Maya loudly slapped her chopsticks on the table. "Ugh. I don't know how you stand it, Kyoya! They're all so loud and undisciplined-"

"You're loud and undisciplined."

Maya quickly snapped her mouth shut. "I'm sorry."

The air between them grew so tense Kusakabe felt it and grew goosebumps. He was gradually losing his appetite, and such a shame that was, since the steak he made was truly delectable. He sighed. Goodness, living between these two was like living with a million cats. They were being needlessly difficult.

"I heard your classmates were pretty enamored with you, Maya-ojou," he said with fake cheer, trying to lighten up the mood. "They were all saying that you looked like a dignified princess."

"I heard," Maya said blankly. "They called me Ice Princess."

"Well...that's a good thing?"

"It was not."

Kusakabe cleared his throat.

"Elsa is really pretty though..."

"Kussakabe get out."

"Don't go putting your frustrations on other people Maya, it's very undignified."

Maya's hands clenched into fists. "Hai, whatever you say, Kyoya-sama."

"I don't appreciate your sarcasm, either."

"You don't appreciate anything!" Maya stood abruptly. Her face was a mask of rage. Kusakabe thought she really was beautiful, although he wondered why Kyoya was acting so contrary. "Why are you mad at me? What did I do?" her voice broke at the last word.

It was like Kyoya was slapped awake. His face softened apologetically. "I-I apologize. I'm not mad, Maya."

"Why are you being so mean, then?"

"I'm sorry. It's nothing. Did your training with mother go well?"

He was avoiding he topic so obviously, still, his half-assed apology seemed to work because Maya calmed down.

"It was bad. She kept telling me to imagine my will into the shape of a Flame, but I just can't do it."

"Give it time."

"How much time? A decade?" Maya pouted petulantly. "I think I have no talent with this either. It was just probably a fluke."

"So you're giving up?"

"What's the use?"

"...Do you want to be disowned by mother again?"

"..."

"Maya..."

"I'm just no good at it, okay! I try, but-"

"Are you done eating?" Kyoya started wiping his mouth with a napkin, looking pointedly at Maya's barely touched plate.

"I'm full. May I be excused?"

"Go to the basement. I'll see you there."

"Okay..."

.

"Kyo-san."

"Kusakabe, do you think I'm too soft on Maya?"

"I...think...er, what?"

"Father told me before that I was spoiling her. I see now his point."

"So, what..are you planning to do, Kyo-san?"

"I read this term from one of Maya's mangas. I think I'll apply it."

"What is this term, Kyo-san?"

"Tough love."

Eh, what was his behavior just now called then?

"I don't think..."

"Do not disturb us, Kusakabe. I intend to pry every single ability out of her by the end of today."

Somehow, Kusakabe didn't think it was going to go well.

.


	16. Chapter 15

I just can't properly pin down Kyoya's personality. -_- And Maya is confusing too.

* * *

 **Chapter Fifteen**

 **Tough Love aka How to Break a Girl's Heart in One Sentence**

Maya had never once stepped foot in the basement before now. To be honest, she wasn't even aware Kyoya's house had a basement. What could he possibly have down there?

"Go through the tea room and tilt the cherry blossom painting to the left," was Kusakabe's instructions when she left. She did so and was startled at the loud click that followed.

The door was behind her. It opened up from one of the other wall paintings, that of the dancing geisha. She hadn't given many of these arts much thought before, and now she couldn't help but wonder what secrets they were hiding. Come to think of it, there was another cherry blossom painting in Maya's room.

"Basement, basement," she chanted under her breath. The doorway was narrow and led to a steep flight of stairs leading down. "Don't they have light around here?" It was dark, and smelled the same way as a hospital. Bleach and antiseptic. She covered her nose. "Goodness, Kyoya-sama needs some lesson in housekeeping."

She took a hesitant step down. As if on cue, lights were turned on from over head, revealing a very sterile looking white staircase leading to an equally white room. Was this a laboratory of some sort? She never knew Kyoya to be interested in research, though.

She sighed. Well, whatever it is, she wouldn't find out if she just stayed rooted on the floor. She stepped down.

When she finally reached the bottom, she couldn't help but gasp in surprise...and horror.

"Well?" came Kyoya's voice from right behind her. "How do you like my torture chamber?"

.

It was very clean, for a torture chamber. No traces of blood or dirt. It looked more like a surgical room than anything else, which made it all the more frightening. It had a metal table in the middle, and a closet full of hospital paraphernalia, plus a collection of knives in various sizes. There were chains tied to the walls, and she knew for a fact they were meant to tie a living person on the neck and limbs.

Kyoya had never once physically hurt her in the years they knew each other. He was an expert in hurting her emotionally, which was almost as bad, really, but he never once laid a hand on her. Not even when they trained together. He always used a dummy to show her techniques. And to show her progress he would ask some of the other, weaker kids to spar with her.

What was he planning to do?

"Scared?" said Kyoya, casually picking a scalpel from the table. When he smiled, it sent shivers down Maya's spine, and not the good kind.

What was happening here?

"Don't worry," Kyoya put down the scalpel and pushed the table to the side. The loud noise of the metal rolling made Maya's stomach churn. "I won't hurt you. Not physically."

"But you...you're planning on hurting me. Some other way."

Kyoya met her eyes beneath long, black eyelashes. His eyes were mesmerizing. She had heard many people say it was terrifying, like a predator taking in his prey. For him everyone was prey. But Kyoya had never looked at Maya like that. He had always looked at Maya kindly, even when he was mad.

Until now.

.

"You're angry at me?" she said it like a question, like she couldn't fathom the very idea of it.

And yes, Kyoya was angry. It was a familiar emotion, like molten lava burning his insides. He liked the feeling, and he liked the way it made his opponents cower with just one look. This time though, he wasn't angry at anyone in particular. He couldn't explain it, which made him angrier. He had always prided himself in control, even in anger he was always in control, but Maya just...God, she infuriated him.

When they were kids, Maya had been an impertinent child. She had no respect for anyone and used her charms to make her life easier. She liked pouting her way through hardships, and barely had to try to get people eating out of her hand. He spoiled her then. She was like an adorable rabbit to him. Something entertaining to watch. When he left, it was hard to leave her behind, but seeing the world that was much bigger than they were led to believe opened up his eyes. And the idea of getting back that same Maya was...annoying.

He probably hurt her, ignoring her all these years. He still adored her, but he wanted her to grow up a bit before he took her in once again.

Every year, in her visits, he was disappointed. She never changed, still weak and cowering and dependent on other people's strength.

He hated this Maya, but he couldn't turn her away either.

He wondered if this was the love they were all talking about.

.

"Maya, you love me right?"

"Yes," the answer came without pause. "But what has that got to do with anything? Why are we here, Kyoya-sama?"

Kyoya gave sardonic smile. "See, that's the problem. You claim that you love me, you even call me Kyoya-sama, but even after all these years you've done nothing but cower behind me and humiliate me."

Maya flinched. "I-I'm-"

"You're going to say you're sorry, but I've heard that before. Millions of times. I've been too much of a fool, always letting you off. Like Father said, I was too soft on you."

If his behavior before was what he called soft, Maya was really getting scared. How bad could his non-soft behavior be? She gulped.

"So now...I want you to attack me."

"...what?"

"Hurt me, Maya. Come at me like you want to kill me."

"Why...why are you saying that? I..I can't." Maya stepped back frightfully. What was he playing at? He wanted Maya to hurt him... "You're scaring me Kyoya..."

Kyoya stepped near her. "I hate you, you know. You're like a parasite that's sucking my blood. I can't seem to get you out from under my skin. You're sixteen, but you act like a child."

Maya stepped back. "You're trying to make me mad."

Kyoya shoved forward, trapping Maya against the wall. "Is it working? No? Then how about I tell you a secret?" He leaned so his mouth was right by Maya's ear. " _I had sex with Chikara. You can say we lost our virginity to one another."_

The pain in Maya's gasp was unmistakable. "You're lying," she accused.

Kyoya pulled back, smiling smugly. "I'm not, you can tell, right?"

"Why are you being so cruel?" Maya cried, her voice cracking. "I'm sorry, okay? Stop this please. Let's just go back."

"Would you like to see the evidence?"

"No!" Maya muffled her ears with her hands and shook her head vehemently. "No. That's not true. You just want to hurt me. It worked, so let's just stop this. _Please..."_

"It's true though. You know, Chikara is such a lovely lady. If it weren't for you, I'm sure she would have been my fiancee."

Maya whimpered. "Stop."

"Are you angry now?"

"Why do you want me to fight you?"

"I don't want you to fight me. I want you to hurt me, show me your strength, because if you can't even do that, why would I even marry you? If it was Chikara..."

"Shut up! Stop saying her name! I hate her! I hate her! I hate her!"

"...You're being childish again."

"I don't care."

"Just attack me!" Kyoya exploded, running out of patience. "How hard can it be?"

"What's the point? You'll just evade it anyway. You're faster than me."

"You're giving up before you even try!"

"Fine!" Maya took on a fighting stance.

Kyoya smiled. "Go on, show me what you've got."

.

"It wasn't lie?" Maya said softly, fists clenched. Her eyes were like an endless abyss of darkness.

"No. I was attracted to her. She was attracted to me."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why were you attracted to her?"

"She is strong. What more reason do you need?"

.

"I'm stronger."

"Prove it."

.

Maya had never once thought it was possible for her to hate Kyoya. She had loved him for so long. Yes, she was naive, but even she knew what sex was. And she knew Kyoya wasn't attracted to her in that way. He had never once tried to kiss her past a simple peck. But she'd been loyal to him. An engagement meant commitment, did it not?

So, Maya never really imagined she could hate Kyoya even when he acted like a jerk to her, or ignored her for years on end. She loved her far too much.

Maybe that was why it hurt all that much more...

Sex...What made it so special, really? It was just two people releasing tension, at least, that was what Lady Kushina said. But Maya always thought it was sacred act between lovers. A physical manifestation of their affections.

Silly, silly, Maya.

Blue and orange danced in front of her. **"I hate you so much, Kyoya."**

.


	17. Chapter 16

For some reason I used first person on Maya the first part. Hope you don't mind, I just feel like I can feel her bitterness written this way, and she has to be bitter after Kyoya was such a jerk last chapter. It's only the first part though, after that we're back to third person. I really prefer it, generally. Less confusing since I change character focus a lot.

And I finally had the Yamamoto-Maya interaction that I've been wanting to write for weeks! I'm so happy!

* * *

 **Chapter Sixteen**

 **I hate you, I love you**

Chikara means strength. The name suited her very well. Chikara was one of the best fighters in our age group. A genius, they say. She was like Kyoya in that regard. She took martial disciplines and gulped them down like water until she was practically breathing them, until they were pouring out of her pores in every drop of sweat. I hated her so much.

It wasn't that I was jealous of her ability to shoot accurately from more than three hundred meters, or the way her punch once downed a sumo wrestler. I didn't even care that she could run forty yards in under five seconds. I just hated that she was all that, and she was pretty.

Boys were attracted to her. Once she grew breasts, men joined the throng. She was seven when she started receiving love confessions, and she was eight when she received her first marriage offer from the son of the Prime Minister. I heard the grown-ups deliberating her potential partner from a long list of suitors, and in the end decided she was far too great an asset to lose to some other family. So she was never engaged.

When she was twelve, like everyone else, she was allowed to roam. She went around Europe once, joined a pirate crew and entered a prestigious middle school in England. Just like that, she was free.

We didn't have a lot of interactions. I was always behind the lessons, so I was never in the same group as her, but I couldn't remember the first time we met face to face.

I was trying hard not to cry as a few kids jeered at me after yet another failed attempt to go through the level three obstacle course. She went to my rescue. Can you believe it? Chikara is strong, beautiful and _kind._

Compared to her, I was just a little bird incapable of doing anything.

I hate her so much.

.

Yamamoto run early. Aside from being part of his daily training, running in the early hours of morning was rather calming. There was barely anyone around, the air was crisp and cool, and he could clear his mind of any distractions. He usually ran around ten kilometers from his house to the public market then to school then back home, and if he had time he would run a few laps around the track. Sometimes he was so focused on running that he got lost.

Today was one of those days.

Looking around him for anything familiar, he caught sight of a familiar black hair in one of the narrow alleys. He backtracked and there she was. Yamamoto frowned. There was something different about her today, though he couldn't point a finger at it. Hmm, was her hair...messier than usual? She was still in her school uniform, though it was also somehow rumpled. Did she run too?

Maya turned her face to his direction and their eyes met briefly before she quickly turned her eyes back to the writhing bodies in front of her, dismissing him. He thought she was as snobbish as usual before all his thought process halted completely.

Slowly, he tried to make sense of the picture in front of him. There was Maya, Kyoya's fiancee who was, he now saw, holding a gun. Familiar. Then there was the three beat up bodies in front of her, begging for mercy in the most pathetic voice. Also rather familiar. Take those two together and...

Yamamoto laughed hollowly. By God, she definitely was a Hibari.

.

Yamamoto wasn't quite sure how it happened, but somehow, he ended up saving the three poor souls who happened upon Maya's wrath. And somehow, he also ended up bringing Maya to their restaurant.

The walk there was silent and awkward. Yamamoto realized despite all that happened, he still didn't know much about her, and he doubted she knew much about him either. Come to think of it, had he ever introduced himself to her even once? He didn't remember.

He smiled his signature smile. "By the way, my name is Yamamoto Takeshi. We met once before in Kyoya-"

The glare she sent his way cut off his speech. He had never seen anyone give such an intimidating glare except Kyoya. More and more, he was thinking she was less like him and more like the skylark. He cleared his throat which was feeling drier and drier by the second. "Um, so what brings you in this part of town?" Yamamoto had just realized that they were in the place where the old gangs used to hang out. Kyoya cleared it out long ago, but it was still plenty dangerous. He didn't think a girl-even someone with a gun-should be in such a place.

Maya didn't answer for a long time. Yamamoto shrugged and just continued walking. It was getting lighter as the sun prepared to rise, and the world felt like it was just waking up. Just as they neared his father's shop, Maya spoke, "Kyoya-sa, um, Kyoya and I fought." Her voice was soft and hesitant. Yamamoto stopped walking and smiled at her encouragingly. Her face was softer than before, less angry, and more...sad. He knew the feeling. He wanted to help her. "I think I overdid it," she whispered.

"What did you overdo?" Unfortunately, Yamamoto wasn't very enlightened when it came to matters of the heart.

"I...I think I may have punched him too much." This time, there was a trace of panic in her tone. "I mean, I was so angry, and he was just there. He didn't fight back! And then he was passed out and I..."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Yamamoto stopped her with a hand. "You mean," his eyes were wide as saucers. "You mean, you...beat up...Kyoya?" There was a tremble to his voice that Maya couldn't place.

"Um, sort of?" she answered innocently.

Yamamoto couldn't help it. He laughed. And laughed so hard his stomach ached.

.

This person was weird, thought Maya. She didn't know what she was thinking, confiding in Kyoya's friend, but who else was she supposed to talk to. She had always kept her pain to herself. She used to cry on Kyoya's shoulders until the day he started being the reason for her tears. And she was never good at making friends. She never got along with the people in the Main House, and the servants didn't really talk to her. Kushina was only concerned about her sons and her own position in the house that she tended to disregard Maya's feelings.

This Yamamoto person was unlike anyone she ever met. Granted, that was a rather small number, but she felt like Yamamoto was unlike many people. He was...contradictory. Open, yet closed. Sharp, yet dumb. Happy, yet...sad. He smiled a lat, and in that Maya remembered a time where she used to smile just like that, with just the right crinkle around the eyes to make it look like she was completely happy.

He was laughing like there was no tomorrow, but she didn't feel like he was laughing at her. Many people laughed at her because she was different. But Yamamoto was different too. And she felt...light around him. Less alone.

So weird, this person.

In the end, she laughed with him because his laughter was contagious.

She hadn't felt this...fun, in years.

She still didn't know why he was laughing though.

.

Kyoya said Kusakabe shouldn't disturb them, but it was morning and neither or them has come out yet. So, Kusakabe thought he could maybe check on them. He had been worrying so hard the past night that he barely slept.

"Basement, basement." Kusakabe had been down there only once, because Kyoya considered it his private space. He didn't like anyone in there. Maya was an exception, apparently.

He tilted the painting and stepped down, his steps making sounds echo along the walls. He shivered. It was always cold underground, and as big as Kusakabe was, he chilled easily.

"I hope they're both okay."

What he found moments later was that, no, they were both not okay. Maya was nowhere to be found, and Kyoya was bleeding unconscious on the floor. Blood spatters soiled the once pristine walls, and his formerly invincible boss was fallen.

Later, when Kyoya regained consciousness, the first thing he said was, "I think I overdid it."

That makes two of you, Kusakabe thought silently.


	18. Chapter 17

I like how you're all just basically cursing Kyoya. Lol. Go on, say what you feel. No need to be shy.

Personally, I think Kyoya could murder me and I'd still love him, I'm that devoted. The Yamamoto-Maya tidbit is rather cute though, isn't it? I'm just sort of disappointed that no one commented on the fact that Maya beat up Kyoya. I mean, when I wrote that I was like, what? Is this even possible? Yeah, well, I'm the writer, I'll make it possible somehow. But how would people react to this, I wondered? I wondered so hard I couldn't sleep. Turns out only one person noticed and appreciated Maya being all bad-ass.

Anyway, here's chapter seventeen. Hope you like it.

And, oh, it turns out I _do_ read reviews. Quite often. Huh.

* * *

 **Chapter Seventeen**

 **Missed Understandings**

"Why are we laughing?" asked Maya, trying to catch her breath.

Yamamoto smiled brightly. "I don't know, maybe because you just said you beat up Kyoya, who, until now, was the scariest person I've ever known? I mean, wow, you don't even sound like you were lying."

Maya tilted her head to the side in confusion. It was a classic pretty girl move and nearly cracked him up once again. This girl was a riot. "And why is that funny?"

Yamamoto didn't know the answer to that, so he just laughed and told her she was amazing.

"Why am I amazing?" she asked with a sudden vulnerability.

"Many reasons. But they don't really matter. Just trust me, you are. Let's go? I'm assuming you don't want to go back to Kyoya's house since you, pfft, beat him up." He cackled. "Gosh, he's a battered boyfriend, who would have thought."

"You're weird," Maya observed, coming to step next to him.

Yamamoto smiled. "I get that a lot."

.

"What did Kyoya do to make you so angry anyway?" Yamamoto placed a plate of sushi in front of Maya and sat opposite her with a plateful of his own. "Itadakimasu!"

Maya took her chopsticks and picked a slice of salmon off the plate, dipped it in wasabi and sauce, and popped it in her mouth. She didn't think sushi was breakfast material, but tasting Yamamoto's father's sushi made her change her mind. "This is great! Your Dad is a genius!"

"Haha, I'll tell her you said that, though I'm sure he probably heard you anyway. So, what did Kyoya do?"

"He...cheated on me."

"Eh? For real? Wait, what does that mean? Were you guys playing a game?"

Maya gritted her teeth in an attempt to control the urge to murder him in his own house. How dense could one person be? "That's not it! I meant he, he, he...he...aish! He did...that...with someone else."

"He played with someone else?"

"You idiot that's not..." Maya slumped. She had no patience for this. Why was she even interacting with this dumb, stupid, idiot?

.

After that, they finished the meal in silence. At least,silence on Maya's part. Yamamoto just chattered on as if Maya wasn't ignoring him. Maya ignored him anyway.

.

"Oi, Takeshi, wouldn't you be late for school? And your friend too," Yamamoto's father called from the kitchen.

"Hai!" answered Yamamoto, though he wasn't really bothered. He had a feeling there would be a lack of discipline today. He shouldn't be complacent though, Kyoya had god-level recovery powers.

"Ah, Maya-chan, your clothes are a bit..."

"Hmm?" Maya looked down at her rumpled clothes. In the throes of such a heavenly meal, she forgot that she was quite annoyed with Takeshi and answered normally. "They're messy, maybe I should skip school." who cared about school anyway? Certainly not her.

"Nope, you shouldn't!" Yamamoto, who was thoroughly conditioned to fear ditching opposed. "I think I may have a solution. Just wait for a bit, don't leave! Skipping school is bad!" He ran up to his room where he left his phone.

"What was that?" wondered Maya. "Did he have girl's uniform in his room?"

.

Yamamoto did not, in fact, have girls' clothes in his room. What he did have was a phone with contact numbers of females who were in possession of girl's uniform. He dialed Kyoko-chan's number.

"Moshi, moshi?" came Kyoko's syrupy voice. "Takeshi-kun?"

"Ah, Kyoko-chan! Good morning. I'm sorry if I disturbed you but do you have any spare clean uniform?"

"Eh...Uniform. I do, but what do you need it for."

"Er, well, you see, Maya is here and she needs clean clothes because..."

Kyoko hung up on him.

"Eh? Did the connection break?" He redialed, and redialed, and redialed...

Kyoko never answered.

"What was that? She must be busy."

He tried Haru next. "You see, Maya is here and she needs a clean uniform for today because she can't go home."

"I heard, but setting aside your immoral acts, Takeshi-san, did you think i would have Namimori High School uniforms when I go to Midori Gakuen?"

"Um, well, I did not think of that."

"Clearly. But, you're in luck because as it happens, I actually do have a pair. But I need something in exchange."

"What is it?"

An ominous silence followed before Haru's crackling voice said, "I want the scoop. I'll be there. See you in a while."

"Huh? Scoop? Dad, do we still have ice cream in the fridge?"

"Why don't you ask me first if we have a fridge?"

"We don't?"

"No, idiot. We don't. My sushi are always fresh."

"But..ice cream..."

"Go get some from the store if your girlfriend wants one."

"I don't have a girlfriend though."

Yamamotot's father peeked in the door. "Who's that pretty girl out there then?"

"She's Kyoya's fiancee."

"..."

"...Hmm?"

"That flinty-eyed senpai of yours?"

"Kyoya-senpai, right."

"Fiancee."

"Uh, huh."

"Oh, kids these days."

.

"Hey, a friend of mine is coming here with the clothes. Is that okay?"

"Whatever, I guess. It's like I have anything better to do."

"Oh, can you show me that blue fire you made last time?"

"Huh?"

"The one you did at the school. That was awesome. I have it too, see?" Yamamoto held out the chain on his neck where his Vongola ring was on. His brows furrowed in concentration. A small blue fire danced on the surface of the ring.

Maya blinked. "Blue flames..." Unconsciously, she reached out to touch the dancing flame. It felt like Yamamoto, warm and happy and...there was something else she couldn't name, but it was the most familiar.

Sobering, she fell back and huffed. "So, it was nothing special after all, if an idiot like you can do it," she said with a tone of disappointment.

"Eh? But Reborn said only select people can do this though."

"Who's this Reborn guy?"

"He's Tsuna's home tutor, but he's really small. Like a baby. He's real strong though."

"Tsuna...he was the tiny brunet one, wasn't he?"

"Yeah, Tsuna's awesome."

"So you say. I don't see anything special about him though. You practice kendo, right?"

"Huh? Oh, right. Shigure Soen Ryu. I learned it from my dad. It's an invincible sword style."

"Hmm. I've heard of that. Impressive, for you."

"Haha."

"When will your friend get here?"

"She should be here any moment now. Her house is not that far." The sliding door opened with a loud snap. "Speaking of, that must be-"

"Ohayou!" said a cheerful voice. "Haru-desu!"

"-her. Definitely her."

* * *

I was supposed to post this yesterday, but I was distracted by manga. Gomen ne?


	19. Chapter 18

You know, I was actually planning to make a love triangle for this story, but instead of Yamamoto it was going to be Tsuna. How did this development happen, I wonder? Haha. But I really like those two, so please continue supporting them.

Thanks for your continued patronage! chos.

* * *

 **Chapter Eighteen**

 **Only one Heart**

"Hello! My name is Haru-desu! Miura Haru, nice to meet you!"

Maya thought she had never before met a more...colorful person. Physically, Haru's colors were no different than Maya's monochrome. She had black hair, fair skin, and was wearing a typical high school uniform in black, white and checkered red. But within two minutes of their meeting, Haru proved to be a very bubbly person, with a unique perspective on the world. She was also really loud.

"I'm Tsuna-san's girlfriend," she said as a part of her self-introduction.

Yamamoto laughed at this and asked, "Does Tsuna know about that?"

Haru answered, "Nope. But I'm sure someone will inform him one of these days."

Then they laughed together.

Maya just looked on at the pair blankly. _Great, yet another weird person._

Haru's face turned sly and she looked between Maya and Yamamoto with narrowed and twinkling eyes. "Now, Takeshi-san, a little bird told me that-"

.

The conversation went something like this.

 _"Haru-chan!"_

 _"Hai, Kyoko-chan? Good morning to you too. Do you need-"_

 _"This is bad! Takeshi is going to die!"_

 _"Eh? Does he have cancer?"_

 _"Nooo! But, you see, he called me,_ just now _, and he was asking for clothes."_

 _"Um...does he not have clothes? Did Tsuyoshi-san kick him out of the house?"_

 _"No! He was asking for girls' uniform!"_

 _"Oh! Cross-dressing! He must be trying out stuff before he dies, how brave~"_

 _"Ugh. Haru-chan! He was with Maya, okay? You remember? the girl I told you about that Tsu-kun told me about?"_

 _"Maya...Kyoya's fiancee?"_

 _"Right! And Takeshi's having an affair with her!"_

 _Haru gasped. "Wow that's amazing!"_

 _"It is not!"_

 _._

"Well, so there you have it."

Yamamoto guffawed. "Affair? Seriously? I didn't know Kyoko-chan was so...dirty-minded."

"Eh, she's always been pretty narrow. But you did call me, so I thought there must be some truth to it at least. So, are you?"

"Definitely not," piped in Maya. "Only a monkey would be stupid enough to have an affair with Takeshi."

"O-hoh. First name basis, huh?"

Maya turned and smiled sweetly to Takeshi. "Takeshi, who is this annoying woman?"

"Hey, that's insulting!" Haru pouted. "I'm telling you I'm nothing less than a pure maiden searching for love~"

"Is she retarded?"

"Maya-chan, that's a bit harsh...Anyway, Haru. I just picked her up this morning from an alley downtown. There's nothing going on."

"What am I, stray cat?"

Yamamoto frowned thoughtfully. "Oh, you are like one!"

"What?!"

"Eh, Takeshi-san, your delivery is all wrong! You're supposed to say: You're as cute as a kitten, Meowya-chwan~chu~"

"..."

"For some reason, that gave me goosebumps. Don't do that again, Haru."

"Creepy woman. You're surrounded by weird people, Takeshi."

"...Wait. Why did you start calling me Takeshi, all of a sudden, anyway?"

"I met your father. It's confusing calling you both Yamamoto. And you've been calling me Maya since the beginning."

"That's because I don't know your last name."

"How can you not know? I'm a Hibari. Hibari Maya. I introduced myself on Chapter one, didn't I?"

"Eh, I must have forgotten."

"Doofus."

Haru's eyes were like ping pong balls bouncing back and forth between the two. "You guys get along really...well."

"You're Kyoya's relative then? I thought you're his fiancee."

"We're from the same clan, so what? We're only cousins."

"Are you allowed to marry Kyoya?"

"We're fourth cousins. Or something along those lines. And stop mentioning his name! It's annoying!"

Haru mumbled. "I'm being ignored, aren't I? Wow." Then, as if having an epiphany, she sat up and brightened. "Aha! You and Kyoya-kun fought, didn't you? ANd you ran away, and that's when Yamamoto rescued you from delinquents! And then your chemistry bloomed, and you slowly fell in love! How romantic~"

"STOP. MENTIONING. KYOYA! Mou! I've had it!" She snatched the bag of clothes from the table and stomped away.

"Ah, she's mad! And you got it wrong, Haru-chan, I didn't rescue her from delinquents. I rescued the delinquents from her."

"Heh."

.

"So, Takeshi-san, we're alone."

"So we are."

"Come on! Give me the juice already!"

"I found her while I was running. For training. I got a bit lost."

"How do you get lost in Namimori?"

"I don't know, haha. But anyway, I ran past this dark alley, and then there was like, Bam! I stepped back and whoosh! There's Maya with a gun."

"A toy gun."

"A real gun."

"Okay, that's is so amazing I have no words. And then?"

"There's boom and shook and Tchuu!"

"You kissed? My you work fast!"

"What were did you get that? She punched me."

"...Why did she punch you?"

"Eh, it wasn't very strong. She was actually aiming for the delinquents but I went in the way. Like, bam! It hurt."

"Poor you. And then?"

"Then I took her home."

"Was there some moment that happened? A spark? A fantastical meeting of the eyes?"

"What re those? Haha. She told she just beat up Kyoya-pfft. So her clothes are like that."

"...She beat up Kyoya. How?"

Yamamoto shrugged. "But she's really strong."

Something about Takeshi's smile tugged at Haru. "Do you like her, Takeshi-san?"

The answer was swift. "Of course. Maya's a good girl."

"Hm." Haru looked out of the window with a pensive expression. "Well, don't like her too much, okay? Some girls, they can only love one person. Even if that person is all wrong for them."

"Huh, do you think Maya is like that?"

"It's just a feeling I get."

"Haru...I don't really understand what you're trying to say, but...don't be sad, okay? I'm sure Tsuna knows how amazing you are. I mean, anyone can see it."

"You're really sweet, Yamamoto. I wish all boys were as thoughtful as you. Are you still going to pass by Tsuna-san's house?"

"Yep. I do it every day."

"Well, I should be going."

"Bye. Thanks for the clothes."

"Anytime! In exchange, get me a picture of Kyoya's face when he finds out about this."

"Huh?"

"Nevermind! I'll get it myself."

.

The uniform was a bit tight in the chest area, but it fit her well enough. Maya combed her hair and pinned the sides with her favorite floral pins. Gifts from Kyoya. Her hands froze. She decided to just leave her hair and put the pin in her bag. She wanted to throw it, but...

"This was his first gift." Goodness. She was so terribly sentimental.

She shook her head and pulled her mind out of the past. There was no getting back there. She could only move on.

But could she really move on from Kyoya? In all honesty, she didn't think it was possible.

"But I have to try. I can't go on living like this."

She knew she did many things wrong, and she was naive about a lot of things. But she's been loyal. Faithful. So completely devoted she didn't even think of anyone else for the past decade. She loved him that much. She thought she could be satisfied if she could only stay by his side...But she's been wishing for many other things.

She was so very greedy.

.

"Maya-chan, are you done?"

"Yes, yes I am."

.

"Are we going directly to school?"

"Hmm? No. I have to fetch Tsuna first. Hayato, Tsuna and I always go to school together. And we escort the kids top the primary school and middle school too."

"You three are always together?"

"Pretty much. We're best friends. And Tsuna needs guards. People always try to kill him."

"What, is his dad some big shot CEO or something?"

"Eh, of a sort. Tsuna's the important one though. He's a Mafia Boss."

Maya tripped.

"Maya-chan are you okay."

.

"What, that midget is a Mafia Boss? How did that happen?"

"Family business. Haha. His Dad's related to the first boss, I think. Though it's all just a game."

"A game?"

"Yep. We all joined because of the little kid. We just can't ruin his fantasy like that, you know?"

"..."

"The Family is called Vongola, and it's all pretty authentic, but don't let that fool you."

Vongola. Even Maya knew that name. And it definitely wasn't a part of a role-playing game. What was happening here?

"Do you really believe it's just a game, Takeshi?"

"Hmm. It's all too real, sometimes. But we're all just having fun hanging out together, you know? And Tsuna's too wholesome to be a mafia boss, so he's always nervous. That's why we protect him."

"I think...there's something wrong with your head."

"Eh? I feel fine though."

Maya giggled. "Silly. Just so you know, I think you're amazing too. For an idiot."

.


	20. Chapter 19

I found this song on Youtube, a cover by a wonderful lady called Ysabelle Cuevas. Spring Day English Cover. The lyrics are amazing, and I feel like they're exact words made perfectly for Maya. Check it out, seriously.

And how long do I have to wait?

How many sleepless nights do I have to take?

To finally see you

to meet you

See? Isn't it perfect? The song was originally in Korean, by the beautiful band, BTS. The English cover was great though.

* * *

 **Chapter Nineteen**

 **Song**

"That idiot! I'll discipline him when he gets here, Tenth! To think he has the guts to make you wait-"

Tsuna cut off Gokudera before he shouted more. Takeshi was late, and Hayato was anxious whenever their routine is disrupted by even the slightest thing. He was a perfectionist like that. It could get really annoying sometimes though.

Tsuna wasn't particularly worried. Takeshi was often absentminded, so in truth it wasn't rare for him to be late by a few minutes. It's been almost half an hour though, so he could understand Gokudera's impatience. But Tsuna trusted his gut, and his gut told him everything was as fine as ever.

"How's your training going, Hayato?" he asked, aiming to distract his friend and right-hand man from self-destruction. He feared he would explode otherwise.

"Hn. The Flames are coming along great, but I still have no idea how I'm supposed to use it. It's not dense enough to let me fly like yours, Tenth. And it's exhausting getting big bursts."

Reborn insisted they all train and develop their Dying Will Flames, although many of them didn't really know how to use it. It turned out that not everyone could use their body to control the Flames. Often, a medium was needed as a conductor. Tsuna's gloves and their Vongola Rings, were suitable mediums, but while Tsuna's Gloves were functional, lighting a Flame on the Ring only acted like a lighter.

"I tried using the Flame to light my bombs, but I can't get the timing right. They all just explodes the moment the Flame touches them."

"I'm glad your limbs are fine then," said Tsuna with a wry smile. Hayato was less suicidal now, but he still showed clear disregard for his safety at times. Tsuna found this frustrating, but even he couldn't force someone to change. At least he wasn't too damaged.

"Ugh. Where is that stupid baseball-freak? I just know Kyoya's going to have a feast this morning. He better be prepared, I'll toast his ass, that-"

"Oh, he's here." Tsuna straightened, then froze. He blinked. Was his eyes seeing correctly?

"Why is that bitch with him?" Gokudera said suspiciously.

Tsuna didn't approve of the derogatory word, but he had to admit he was wondering the same thing. Why was Maya with Takeshi?

.

Haru didn't think of herself as nosy. She was just...concerned, yes, that was the word she wanted to use. She was concerned about Kyoya, whose fiancee run off into the arms of another after beating him withing an inch of his life. Horrible, wasn't it? She was just being a kind friend, giving free information.

It had nothing to do with wanting to see Kyoya's jealous face. Definitely nothing. And her camera was just for an emergency. A girl's got to do what a girl's got to do, you know?

Well, in truth, she probably shouldn't meddle. She wasn't really sure how Kyoya would react, after all. He could be indifferent, or he could go on a rampage. But she had never before seen Takeshi act so...familiar with a girl before. And freedom-loving Kyoya wouldn't be caught dead with a relationship label denoting commitment if there was nothing there.

So, here she was, in front of Kyoya's house, about to fan the fire.

"Kusakabe-san, may I speak with Kyoya? It's important. _For real._ "

.

"Um, Takeshi, Maya-san. Good morning," Tsuna greeted slowly. Beside him, Gokudera bristled. "What is the meaning of this? Why are you with this woman, baseball-freak?"

Yamamoto laughed. "I found her when I was running this morning. She and Kyoya had a fight, so she didn't want to go back yet. I asked her to stay with us for the meantime. Isn't it fine?"

Fight? Tsuna wondered whose fault it was. It was obvious Maya had issues, but he would be blind if he couldn't see Kyoya's mountain of issues too. His caramel eyes caught Maya's ethereally dark ones. He shivered. But then, it really wasn't any of his business. He forced a smile. "That's okay. Let's go. We can't be late."

Hayato opened his mouth to speak, but Tsuna elbowed him in the ribs. "Let's all get along today."

"Hai," Gokudera muttered darkly.

The walk was silent save for Yamamoto's cheerful chatter. Tsuna was glad someone was feeling happy with these development, at least. Personally, he still wasn't sure what to make of Kyoya's fiancee. On the one hand, Kyoya seemed to genuinely care for her even his actions made that sort of questionable. But Maya...Maya was scary. Tsuna couldn't understand her. She wasn't brightly naive, like Kyoko, or willful and cynical like Kurokawa. She wasn't cheerful and colorful like Haru, either. If anything, she was more like Bianchi, obsessed with love. But Bianchi was malleable and quite innocent, as Tsuna has come to learn over the years. Bianchi felt deeply, and showed it in strange ways, but she's actually nice.

Maya was beautiful, in a way that made her seem less human and more..something else, at times. And the way she acted was like a spoiled child at times, and a neglected child in others. Her personality wasn't a 'fixed' thing like most his friends, but a mirage. It's ever-changing.

And her gun-handling freaked him out.

Tsuna sighed. But he really should stop being such a judgmental prick. Maya had good points too.

...he was sure. Somehow.

.

"Um, Maya-san, how are you finding Namimori so far? Are you having fun?"

Maya's glare was so cold Tsuna actually froze on the spot. Yamamoto frowned at them, and ?Maya subtly looked away, answering in a breezy tone. "It's been a cozy few days."

She disliked him, Tsuna decided. He didn't know why, though. Did he do something to offend her?

"Oi! Don't act so rude with the Tenth, you impertinent woman!"

Yamamoto came between the raging storm and the calm rain, "Hayato, I'm sure she didn't mean it. Her eyes are just naturally like that. Like, like Kyoya. He. Hehe."

"What? Don't get in my way, idiot! Whatever the case she didn't have the right to glare at him when he's being gracious as it is!"

"Ha-Hayato, you're overreacting. It was just a glare..."

"Tenth!"

"What a rowdy bunch," mumbled Maya. "Really, so silly."

.

Logically, she knew she really had no reason to dislike Tsunayoshi Sawada. He was short and herbivore-looking, sure, but she's seen firsthand his martial strength. He was a capable leader too, as testament of his people's loyalty to him. Of course, he was as weird as everyone in this strange town, but he was also kind of nice. And he was never truly hostile towards Maya. It wasn't his fault his guard dog was out of control.

It was probably her envious side peering its dark head. Tsunayoshi was Kyoya's friend, and was by his side when Maya wasn't. She was naturally jealous of him. But that was no reason to act rude. She was taught better than that.

"I must apologize, I have been terribly rude to you from the beginning."

"Eh? It's-it's nothing really, I don't even know what-"

"Che. That was so insincere."

"Maya-chan...when were you rude?"

"Well, firstly, I pointed a gun at his head, then I nearly toasted hi friends, I cursed him a million times in my head, and I used his face for target practice. Also, I haven't greeted him properly even once."

"That's, um, you really did that?"

"Yes. So I apologize. I will try no to do so again."

"Do you hate me?!" shrieked Tsuna, freaked out. She really used his face for target practice? He knew they weren't exactly chummy, but...

"I...I was merely jealous. I have been apart from Kyoya for a long time. And in the time we were together, we were barely friends. I was envious of your relationships." Her heart was pounding in her ears. What was she doing, revealing weakness like this? These people were strangers.

"I thought you were his fiancee? Isn't that better than being a friend?"

Maya froze. "I...This is stupid, we're going to be late. Takeshi, let's go."

"Hai, hai!"

.

"What was that?"

"I don't know. That came out of nowhere."

"I don't understand girls."

"..."

"You have a lot to learn, Tsuna. That girl...she opened up to you so she could be your friend." Reborn said, jumping onto Tsuna's head.

"Have you been watching the whole time?"

"Yes. You look stupid. Run along now."

.

There were three things Reborn got from that exchange.

One, Maya was a sky, but she was still primarily a rain.

Two, Tsuna was growing steadily, which pleased him. He was able to attract another sky to him, which was great, as it meant he was a stronger sky than Maya.

And three, that girl was raised well. Hmm.

.

"It seems your little bird has jumped to another nest. What are you going to do, Kyoya?"

"Why are you here, Miura Haru?"

"I came to tell you something you want to know."

"What is it?"

"See, just today..."

.

"Kyoya-san, you should stay in bed! Your wounds aren't healed yet!" Kusakabe ran after his boss, who was swiftly clearing off the house like a man on a mission. "Haru-san, what did you tell him?"

The girl giggled. "This is interesting. I didn't know he was in love with her. And my, he really does have god-level recovery powers, moving that fast."

"Haru-san?"

"These pictures are gold! I wonder how much I can sell them for..."

"Haru-san!"

.

"Oh, god, what on Earth is happening?"

.

* * *

This was weird to write. I don't think I like how it turned out.


End file.
